Saturno: A Traitor's Heart
by The Varajan
Summary: We define ourselves by our choices. But sometimes someone comes along and helps us on our way.How will this soldier from the east influence our heroes? He did good and evil, the one sure thing was Toph would never forget him, how could she? She loved him.
1. Stranger

I don't own Avatar and never will (Avatar deserves to fly free), this is just a fiction set from Bitter Work onward. This is a Toph fiction primarily with a hint of Kataang plus a little Sukka. All the characters you recognize I do not own, the TERMS, NAMES, and PLACES that you do not recognize I do own however. This is a long fiction and it as you will see starts out a little slow. But if it takes your fancy, read a little more. I am under the impression that it is very good.

_**Stranger**_

Aang was very pleased with himself for his advances in his training, the change from thinking like an airbender to an earthbender was hard and took time. As he said when they left the outskirts of the Bei Fong estate, Toph did indeed turn out to be a great teacher, albeit a harsh one. Still getting praise out of her made the struggle of training all the more pleasurable. Katara was still his favorite teacher not to mention he was in love with her. After training so much they had all decided to go to the beach and have some fun for a change. On top of that everyone was in a especially good mood as they had met up with some old friends; The Kyoshi Warriors. Suki had joined up with them and headed out along side her friends on the way to the Earth Kingdom coast, from all the ordeals they had gone through recently some fun at the beach was appealing.

Appa flew at a leisurely pace toward the coast then along it. The gang was chatting happily amongst themselves. Sokka was showing off his arms to Suki, rather proud of himself for his tone. Katara teased him about his compulsive need to flex his muscles whenever he saw his reflection. Aang himself was just daydreaming, looking forward to the day to come. Toph just hung on to Appa's saddle, she hated flying, the sensation made her uneasy. The beach was not her favorite place either, the sand was loose, the earth unstable. It limited her sight, if there was one thing she hated more than anything; it was not able to see. Aang spied from Appa's head the best place to land, "Over there…..no. Over there……no……. THERE!" he barked.

A quaint little valley in the beach, made of rocks with sand and a small beach, less than fifty feet in diameter. It also had a ridge that gave it some nice shade , "yip yip!" said Aang directing Appa to the shallow water in the mouth of the crescent. "Finally!" thought Toph in relief. The gang however was too busy chatting excitedly about what they wanted to do first to notice the small catamaran stuck in shallows.

Appa landed with a splash on the crystalline waters, but no one jumped off. Sokka was a bit oblivious almost hopping off, until he saw the small crooked ship. The ship showed signs of battle, the sail had cuts. And dents from the stern to the rudder, Fire Nation arrows were sticking out of it on all sides, the orange, triangular sail was torn and had smoke stains. The only thing visible on it other than the stains was a strange rune which was peculiar and unique. "Someone had a bad time at sea" said Sokka hopping off and going over to investigate the ship, "Sokka get away from that boat its not ours!" said Katara irritated by her brother's brash curiosity. "What's going on?" asked Toph, "It's a ship!" shouted Sokka, "The owner isn't around" he added.

The ship itself was very strange, it somewhat resembled two Fire Nation warships tied together save it was made of wood, and the sail was triangular with skeleton support beams fully stretching the sail open. Sokka looked around at the stuff on the ship, tied down urns with similarly strange runes, but these although they resembled the rune on the orange sail; they looked more like writing rather than a symbol like the banner rune on the sail, there was also a small cabinet with the glint of armor and weapons visible from it tied to the urns. Suki and Toph walked off Appa's tail into the shallow waters, Aang jumped off Appa spinning and landing on the ship in one fluid movement, "Any idea what happened to the owner?" he asked. "Nope" said Sokka reaching into an uncovered urn, "Leave that alone, the owner could still be around!" said Katara, "SOKKA! AANG!" she yelled at them as they reached into the urns.

"Katara look!" said Sokka pulling out some white, heavily spiced cheese and a coarse bottle "Cheese!...and sweet wine!" he said taking a little sip. Suki took hold of Toph's hand and led her to shore, ignoring the arguing of her friends. Toph could see vaguely the shapes of everything around her from the sound of the small waves and her friends arguing. Suki let go of Toph's hand on the shore, "I'm going to go check on the children" she said smiling and wading through the water towards the group. Toph sighed, her faded glassy eyes remained fixed in place as the surveyed her surroundings, she couldn't see more than fifteen feet around her and even then everything was blurry. "I guess I'll just find somewhere to lie down" she thought going to the crest of the dune leading to the sandy beach head itself. She half-smiled hearing the reactions of her friends, Sokka was apparently helping himself to the food onboard and Katara was scolding him and so was Suki. Aang was simply sitting quietly waiting for the situation to rectify itself while inspecting the ship curiously.

"Well I'm stuck here for the day, might as well get some shut eye while they sort themselves out" she said to herself as she reached the summit, upon taking a few more steps she was stopped by something. She found she was no longer standing on sand, but rather something more solid, that shifted as she shifted her weight, she wriggled her toes, it felt like skin, and a heartbeat. She squeaked in surprise, "GUYS!!!" she yelled at them quickly stepping off the body, the gang upon hearing Toph's tone came running, as they reached the summit Aang asked "Toph wha-" he stopped cold upon seeing the body. "Who is that!?!?" asked Sokka unpleasantly surprised, no one answered. The sand around the stranger's body was stained with blood. But the stranger himself was the most impressive thing: it was a boy around Sokka's age and height, his skin was somewhat pale and had numerous scars all over his body and was dressed in orange armor, very strange orange armor. The protective shell's design looked like it came from oceanic creatures, fish scales and crustacean carapaces but made of metal; probably bronze or brass, the boy's legs up to the waist was armored, and so was his right arm up to the shoulder. The arm armor was segmented and jagged, still grasped by the left arm was a large round shield with similar designs, the shield was large enough to cover the exposed chest and left side of his body. The metal helmet was a macabre, wicked thing, it was skin close, it possessed a thin spike that extended from the top of the helmet inclined forward as to be used as a weapon, it had other thin spikes extending from the forehead, forming a thorn crown, it was embedded with the same type of writing placed on the urns.

The visible source of the stranger's bleeding were three Fire Nation arrows still sticking out of his back. But from the scratches around his torso, he probably had more wounds than was apparent.

From the commotion, and as the group pulled him up so Katara could remove the arrows and heal him, the groggy stranger stirred. Everything around him as to sound was a blur, all he could see was Toph standing in front of him listening to what her friends were doing. "Hello" whispered the stranger barely audible, Toph heard the new voice and accurately looked at his face, she crouched down to his eyelevel, "Are you ok? What's your name?', the stranger took a deep breath and said only slightly louder than his greeting;

"Saturno"

His head tilted and fell forward again as he passed out again. Only Aang noticed the brief exchange. Katara bended the water in her satchel into her hands as she pulled out the three slim, maliciously sharp arrows. As she placed her hands on the stranger's back a low siren's call sound came from her hands as she healed his three wounds. The same question was going on through their minds "Who is this guy?".

Somehow the day was not as relaxing and ordinary as they thought it would be.


	2. Two Avatars?

I don't own Avatar and never will (Avatar deserves to fly free), this is just a fiction set between Bitter Work and the other after. This is a Toph fiction with a little Kataang plus a little Sukka. All the characters you recognize I do not own, the TERMS, NAMES, and PLACES that you do not recognize I do own however. This is my first attempt at a story so please, if you have any comments and I exhort you to post on reviews, please I'd like feedback.

_**The Two Avatars**_

Saturno was in a deep sleep, he always found it convenient, the fact that he never had dreams. He never had any nice memories anyway, and even the few who were pleasing such as playing music with his few friends in the far east, in Varajo, were tied to the reason he left in the first place. It cast a shadow over his life. The Varajans were a proud and bizarre race of people, blessed by the spirits, they were the greatest benders in the world and a few of them, just a few were able to bend all elements including two others no one else could use; light and dark. The reason Saturno was forced to leave his home was because of a civil war that had enveloped his country, these Varajans who could bend all elements banded together and formed clans who fought for control of the nation. Saturno was severely abused in his early childhood, his life revolved around violence and war, they wanted to make him into a Soldadus, varajan for soldier. Even as a youngling he rejected the idea, he did not want to fight, he did not want to hurt people, however circumstance and his family forced him to fight. He hated them for making him kill others, every last one of them, his father, his mother his whole family. Save his older and younger sisters who wanted him to be left alone. Even with these shortcomings as to his desire to not fight, the generals and Saturno's troops could not argue with the results of unleashing a Soldadus on enemy troops, or a stronghold, he had a great many successes in the war; he was also instrumental to the fall of the city of Lasrage a fortress city that had been under "siege" for over twenty years.

He made a mistake one night, his general and bodyguards visited him in the royal barracks, the general whipped Saturno and gave him a beating; for news had reached him that Saturno had disobeyed orders and let a large number of his defeated opponents leave Lasrage when his orders were to kill everyone. The general's mistake was threatening to kill his sisters if he disobeyed again. Saturno skewered three soldiers with his spear and burned the general alive. Realizing what he had done, he knew he had to leave, he had heard of lands to the west so he set fire to the entire barracks killing all the other soldiers who were now awake and trying to kill him. After a few days of hiding he stowed away on a varajan ship heading to the Earth Kingdom to solve a long standing issue with the Earth King, after he was found out he killed the crew and sank the ship knowing that if he let them live and land in the Earth Kingdom, they would likely tell some story to the Earth King that would make him sound like a monster to be killed or captured. He boarded a little catamaran that was attached to the ship, loaded it with supplies and continued to the Earth Kingdom, it was as he passed the Fire Nation's side of the Serpent's Pass, he was attacked by a warship, he had a hard time trying to sink it so he just froze it in place. He was wounded badly, there was a storm and he did not have the desire or the energy to fight. He fought trying to keep the ship afloat during the storm, upon reaching the crescent beach he left the ship in the shallows and collapsed on the sand. "Either I will die by cause of the arrows, or the locals", he thought just before passing out.

He awoke again feeling himself being picked gently by several hands, he did not feel pain, just the long nauseating tug of the arrows being pulled out of his back. He felt a relief in his shoulder blades though as they were removed. His vision was clear but his hearing blurry, as he opened his eyes he saw two small, delicate looking feet, connected to a couple of toned pale legs. "Hello" he managed to whisper, the shadow cast by the person shifted as the being kneeled at his eye level. Saturno felt his heart flutter staring at the girl with pale, milky, green eyes, "Are you ok? What's your name?" she asked. Her voice was young and sweet to him, he felt very strange, he felt something he had never felt before in his life. He found her to be scary but in a good way, for a moment he didn't know if it was her or if it was just that he was nauseous from his ordeal. "Saturno" he answered her, he felt short of breath and lightheaded his vision began to fog again. "But were talking…."he thought as he passed out again.

Katara finished her therapy on the patient, which included more than those three arrows. He had a gash on his chest and several other cuts and bruises. "So what should we do with him?" asked Sokka scrutinizing Saturno's armor, "All we can do is help him Sokka", said Katara, "Saturno, his name is Saturno" said Toph sitting next to Katara "looking" at Saturno's body mend itself by her hands, "Saturno?" asked Katara quizzically by the exotic name, "Yup, he told me right before he passed out again" answered Toph. "I don't like it" said Sokka, "We don't know this guy, he could be trouble" he added, Suki gave him a strait look "I think we can at least assume he's not Fire Nation" she said holding his helmet flicking the thin sharp spike on the top of his ornate head piece knowing what he was getting at, "Well at least I'd feel better if I knew where he was from" muttered Sokka..

Toph had laid down on a warm flat rock in the cliff's shade after Katara was done with the patient, she was at peace of mind for a change, enjoying the warmth of her rock and the reassurance of her little field of vision. "Saturno…. Saturno….. he's definitely not from around here" she thought, reciting his name in her head, giving it no more thought she put her mind at ease and let herself drift to sleep. It was a good thing they landed, Toph never felt at ease flying so this would be a good time to get some recuperative sleep. Sokka had taken Saturno's spear and sword and was trying them out. His sword was crooked, malicious and had edges that extended forward from the original edge. His lance resembled something of a trident, but Saturno's thin but wide sword seemed more appealing to play with. Sokka waved it around cutting the air pretending he was fighting a Fire Nation soldier, Suki took up her fans and playfully tapped and jabbed Sokka with them and said, "C'mon lets fight, tough guy" she said. Sokka was reluctantly learning to trust Suki more, and treat her like a girlfriend rather than a glass flower, sparring with her was ok.

Saturno slowly opened his eyes, his entire body felt sore and achy. He groaned quietly as he sat up, he looked around at the scene around him, curiously he felt at peace, not at all scared or like he was in danger. Suki and Sokka were sparring in the crescent, Katara and Aang were having a waterbending play fight in the shallows and a great furry beast was sleeping in the cool shallows. A small lemur hunted for little things to eat amongst the rocks and Toph was napping on the flat rock, Saturno's whole body cried for nourishment. When he rose, he found he was only wearing his long pants and to his surprise, his wounds had been treated.

No one noticed when Saturno had gotten up, and that the stranger was walking awkwardly to the little catamaran, "Gods, I'm hungry" he whispered to himself. The varajan staggered past Sokka and Suki who both promptly stopped sparring and just stared at the boy, Suki looked at Sokka and pointed to her right eye "Did you notice he's got a bloodshot eye?", Sokka looked at her with a "seriously?' kind of look on his face. Katara and Aang also stopped playing as he passed between the two of them wading through the shallows to his ship. Saturno hopped on the ship and took off the top of the urn and took out a piece of cheese, a loaf of bread and a bottle of his drink. He eagerly devoured the piece of cheese and the loaf of bread like he hadn't eaten in ages and plopped down on the ship's tiny deck. He drank down the drink in one go then laid on his back abruptly upon finishing as if he had passed out again.

The group looked amongst themselves unsure as to how to react. Suki and Sokka walked towards the stranger, Katara and Aang also came to the ship's border looking at him, the four where together but weren't sure how to start a conversation. "Which one of you…..took care of my wounds?" asked Saturno still laying back, "I did" said Katara quietly. Saturno sat back up and scanned their faces carefully as to commit each and everyone to memory, his eyes locked on Katara's, he grabbed hold of her hand and kissed it lightly and politely. "Thank you, friend", he said smiling, Aang took a good look at what Saturno had just done and Katara's reaction, he made a mental note, "Girls like that" he noted. Saturno looked at them in a reserved manner, not sure as to what to do next, "So Toph told me your name is Saturno" said Katara trying to start off a conversation and break the uncomfortable silence. Saturno's eyes widened as she addressed him as if waking up from deep thought "Yes, who are you?" he answered, Katara smiled politely and answered "I'm Katara, and the boy who's got your sword there is my older brother Sokka, and his girlfriend Suki", upon hearing this Sokka blushed but didn't hide it, it was obvious to his family and it was probably about time he could acknowledge it in front of strangers, "And this is Aang, the Avatar" she said, Aang made a "peace" sign and said "Hi!". Saturno smiled, "Avatar of what?", Katara looked at him quizzically "He's the Avatar, THE Avatar", "Yes but of which God?".

The gang looked at each other at a loss as to how to explain, "Saturno, there's been a war going on for the last 100 years. Aang is the current reincarnation of the Avatar which is the only bender that can use all four elements, we're trying to end the conflict with the Fire Nation" said Katara, Saturno sneered at them, "Are those the ones with the metal ships and red banners?", "Yes" answered Sokka, Saturno fingered the gash on his chest, "A very grumpy bunch" he said remembering the night before. Aang in his usual sunny disposition bended a small ball of water and sand into his two hands and made them spin around forming the Ying and Yang symbol. Saturno looked at Aang's action with a wide smile, he flicked both his hands, water and sand came into his hands also forming the Ying and Yang symbol, "I can do it too" he said quietly and playfully. Aang and the rest were frozen in shock, a complete stranger was bending more than one element, was Saturno somehow another Avatar. "He, he, he bended earth and water" muttered Katara half believing what she had just seen, Saturno dropped both elements into the shallows looking at them as if he had done something bad. "Who are you Saturno?" asked Aang wide eyed and astonished.

Saturno looked at his feet and muttered "Don't make me say anything else, please" he said clearly and sadly, somehow the group picked up on his tone and body language and backed off. Saturno focused on his skin, looking at the thin but long scar that ran up his right foot, he was stabbed in the right foot with a spear when he was eight years old by his best friend by accident. "I don't like what I am" he thought bitterly, clenching his hands.

If you have any comments or suggestions please take the time to post them on reviews. I really apreciate to hear from anyone.


	3. I Will Fight For You

I don't own Avatar and never will (Avatar deserves to fly free), this is just a fiction set between Bitter Work and the other after. This is a Toph fiction with a little Kataang plus a little Sukka. All the characters you recognize I do not own, the TERMS, NAMES, and PLACES that you do not recognize I do own however. This is my first attempt at a story so please let me know what you think.

_**I will fight for you…**_

Saturno had killed the overall mood at the camp, no one was in a playful state of mind like they had been only hours ago. And only hours ago they were under the impression that two avatars were an impossibility, but Saturno somehow managed to bend two elements, something that no one else in the world, save Aang, could do. Saturno sat quietly on the catamaran eating quietly wondering what his new "friends" were doing, Appa had repositioned himself next to Saturno's catamaran and had made friends with the varajan. Momo too was curious and sat atop Saturno's head fingering his food and taking little bits to eat. Toph was much more exhausted than was apparent; she was still sleeping on her rock, the only change was that she was laying on her side and had a small line of drool snaking down the side of the flat rock.

The gang sat around a bonfire as the night began to creep in and the sun setting towards the Fire Nation slinked into the horizon. "What should we do with him?" asked Aang, "Bring him with us, obviously!" answered Sokka excitedly, "Sokka like you said he might be dangerous, he's ANOTHER AVATAR, we don't know where he came from, what he wants or who he is, maybe its not such a good idea" said Katara protesting. A weird warrior from another land was acceptable and understandable but a weird Avatar from another land freaked her out. "If he wanted to hurt us, seems to me like he would have already wouldn't he?" said Toph sleepily plopping down next to Sokka, "Oh you heard? Saturno's another Avatar" said Sokka, "Yeah well, it's kind of hard not to hear you Snoozles" said Toph yawning, "If the problem is not knowing who he is or where he came form, why don't you just ask him?" she added plainly. No one else in the group admitted but Toph's suggestion as to how to fix the problem was almost stupidly obvious and no one had thought of it. "Well I'm not going to get him" muttered Katara, "Me neither" added Aang in the same tone, the group looked at Sokka expectantly, "Well?" said Suki, "I-uh I'm the idea guy one of you go get him!" he blurted out defensively. Toph moaned in irritation and almost jumped up, "Fine I'll get him, I swear the three of you are spineless" she said in an authoritarian tone.

The sky was black, product of the settled night. Saturno was in awe looking up at the sky, he hadn't noticed when he was in his catamaran or when he had left with the varajan ship, but here in the west, he could see the night sky in it's entirety. Every star, the full crescent moon, he felt a swelling of happiness.

Toph disappeared in the dark looking around for Saturno, she could hear humming, a tune from an orchestra, definitely nothing from around any of the four nations. She took a few steps forward and froze with a jolt of adrenaline as the water touched her feet. She had reached the shore. "SATURNO! I need to talk to you!" she shouted. She felt a little embarrassed that she was reluctant to enter even shallow water, but the prospect of entering the ocean was a little unnerving. The humming promptly stopped, she heard something plop into the water and come to her, it stopped about ten feet away, it sounded like the sloshing of a person wading through water. "I was beginning to wonder if you were real" said Saturno feeling the same feeling he had when he first saw Toph, there was a reserved mood about him, not ready to trust these people, as apparently bending two elements was a bad thing. "And why is that?" asked Toph backing away a few feet into shore then sitting down on the sand, "See it from my perspective, I have a battle out on sea, I was going to bleed to death, then I see a...um…attractive…. young lady asking me for my name and I pass out again. Somehow I thought you were a hallucination, or perhaps the boatman ready to take me across the River Styx" he said, he searched for the right words as to express himself, he didn't want to appear foolish in front of his rescuer.

Toph felt herself blush and lowered her view as to hide it, no one beside her parents had ever told her she was pretty and most certainly not a stranger. She thought of his voice now hearing it fully and without fatigue. Saturno's voice was interesting she thought. It had a particular accent to it, refined, but not in a snobby way, it was just, pleasant and out of the ordinary. He gestured for him to sit down as to make him more comfortable for the nosy little interrogation to come. Saturno hesitantly sat down next to her, again reserved and ill at ease. He was worried what he had just said might have offended her as it came from a complete stranger. Or that she might have thought his etiquette was stupid. She took a deep breath and to relax and make the butterflies in her stomach go away. Saturno rocked himself back and forth a little wiggling his toes in the sand, "You know my name….what's yours?" he asked quietly, Toph answered immediately, she was waiting for him to start the conversation not knowing how to start it herself. "Toph Bei Fong. What's your last name?", "Saturno Sahz at your service", Toph relaxed her stance and leaned back holding herself up by her elbows. "We were wondering Saturno, where exactly did you come form?", "From the east, Varajo", "Varajo where's that?", "It's east, way east, through the Bakrian Ocean", "Ok, why did you come here?", "I didn't come here out of choice, I ran away from my home", "Why?" asked Toph, the story piqued her interest. Saturno sighed and frowned, Toph felt the change in him. "Can I tell you something Toph, and promise you will not tell anyone about it until due time?", "Uh..sure" she answered reluctantly. Saturno took a deep hesitant breath, his hands felt unsteady, a slow icy chill crawled up his spine, the same chill that had crawled when he was before his parents the first time he had disobeyed orders, for the same reason his general visited him for, years later.

"I am Saturno Sahz, I was born sixteen years ago in the fortress city of Therakonia, my mother and father I will not name. My older sister is named Palla and was born two years before me, my younger sister is named Sofia and was born two years after me…..she loves her older brother greatly" he said quietly, he grinned fondly remembering his beloved sister, "Why wont you name your parents Saturno?" asked Toph completely enthralled by his story, Saturno's eyes came back to life and focused on her coming back from his daydream, "Because I hate them…… unfathomably" he spat out with some disgust, Toph could perceive his heart's change of beat, it said "Saturno is sad and angry". "In fact Toph my real last name is another which I shall not name, Sahz in varajan means: lance, I chose it for myself" he then said changing his tone, his heart changed too, it swelled with pride. Toph sat up strait and rested her head on her knees embracing herself, "Why do you hate them?" she asked, she didn't realize it but she felt like a child being told a fairy tale, completely captivated by his retelling of his coming to be before her. "Because when I was born, I was born with the power to bend all elements to my will, the priests of my home city noticed and placed me in the 13th Legion of the Black Wind Kingdom. From the time I could balance myself to stand I was placed into training and war, to every family that had a Soldadus which is what I am, it was an honor. I hated them for it, they abused and hurt me every time I showed mercy. I never wanted to hurt anyone, or kill, or destroy. And for that I was given a mark I now wear, on my heart, a stigma, a mark of shame" a small glassy tear rolled down his cheek, Saturno's heart to Toph now felt of a greater pain and sadness. He took Toph's hand confidently, she shuddered slightly not expecting his touch and felt herself blush again, she found herself unable to move, he placed her hand where his heart is. She felt his beat, it was powerful, he had a big heart, but on his skin he had a scar, it felt more like a brand. A strange symbol carved into his chest, "It's a traitor's mark, my own family branded me a traitor because I showed mercy often to all my enemies. I don't want to fight my people's stupid, worthless, pointless, morbid war. I came here to get away form war, it only seems I've stumbled into another one" he said sadly.

Toph felt torn by Saturno's story, her only complaints were being treated as if she was helpless. He had a brand carved into his chest, she guessed it was his parents whom did that to him, to Toph it was unconceivable that her parents would even think of harming her.

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two, Toph glanced in his direction. "Saturno, we are fighting, to protect what we hold dear" she said, "In war, all sides do", "Saturno, I…I cant convince you just like that, that we are the good guys in this war. You've been through a lot, you have suffered more than I'll ever know. I cannot imagine my parents ever even thinking about hurting me. But if you want to come with us, you are more than welcome", "To fight, to kill others, right?", "We don't kill them, we just... defeat them...we've never killed anyone". Saturno was surprised by her answer but said nothing, Toph got up and brushed off the sand off her green pants. "Saturno, what can I possibly say to you. Coming with us and helping us, would be the right thing to do from the war's perspective. We would be fighting for what is right", Toph hesitated and quietly said, "I, would like you to come with us. But its your choice". She felt as if she was in Aang's position when he asked her to come with them only weeks ago, she walked away towards the group leaving him alone. He stared into the darkness, thinking to what she had said, he knew this was it. One of those few great crossroads of destiny.

Toph came back to her friends and plopped down setting her sleeping mat on the ground close to the warmth of the fire. Everyone was quiet, expecting her to shed some light on what they had discussed, Toph laid on her side facing the fire. She closed her eyes forcefully trying to fall asleep, she was not in a pleasant mood, details of the conversation agitated her. "Well………well?" asked Sokka trying to keep a level head, "I cant say anything Sokka, I promised him", "But Toph that's not fair!" protested Sokka, "Not another word guys" she said, making strait blows to the ground. Flat angled stones ejected from the ground forming her usual closed earth tent. The four were a little in shock. What had they spoken about? Although Sokka kept trying to negotiate with the girl inside the stone the others decided it was best to let her speak when she was ready.

It took a long time for everyone to fall asleep, they were excited about Saturno and what he had negotiated with Toph if anything. There was no sleep for Saturno though, his mind struggled between the two choices, leave and have the chance live in peace. Or fight for these strangers, taking Toph's word that it would be what is right, fight for what is right.

Night ebbed away and the sun swam out of the horizon. Toph was the first to wake, she shrugged away the slabs of earth and groggily felt around, her four friends were still sleeping. She felt something stop in front of her; two armored legs. "Good Morning" said Saturno enthusiastically, Sokka stirred at the spirited welcome, and upon beholding Saturno's frightening figure now fully armored, he made a little yelp of fright being unpleaseantly surprised. Toph looked in his direction but remained silent. Saturno crouched in front of her to her eye level and said clearly, "I will fight for you Toph Bei Fong". A smile crept across her face, his heart felt; happy, she acknowledged, she was happy too.

By a work of chance or fate, they had a powerful new ally with them. Toph and Saturno's relationship quickly evolved, from acquaintances, to best of friends in the following weeks. Saturno was more of a mystery to the others, he disclosed nothing about himself and Toph was true to her word and kept her mouth happily, shut. No matter how much it antagonized the others, especially Sokka.

Here I've started to define the line amongst the characters, friendships and relationships. If you have any comments, or suggestions or just want to say something please take the time to post them on reviews. I really apreciate it.


	4. The Serpent's Pass

_**I think I did pretty good, for it being my first story. Please take the time to post on reviews, please I'd like feedback.**_

_**The Serpent's Pass**_

Saturno proved to be a great companion on the gang's travels. He felt obligated, always to do everything he could to assist the group, gather firewood, get water, scout ahead, brush Appa, delouse Momo. If he could do it he would. Toph would often tease him in anyway she could, especially by snapping he fingers and "ordering" him to get her things pretending he was her servant, Saturno would humor her sarcasm, always with an endlessly sunny disposition, a quirk to his personality that can seem a little out of place with such a boy. This quirk only became apparent with Toph in addition to Sokka, the three were a trio in mischief, Saturno and Toph more than Sokka. Saturno however was much more reserved with Aang and Katara.

The gang plus one had gone through quite a few ordeals. After dropping Suki off and Aang choosing his mini-vacation they ended up in the desert with an archeologist and met Wong She Tong; he who knows ten thousand things, in the spirit library. In it they searched for any weakness, anything they could use against the Fire Nation. Through Sokka's searching they found out that firebenders lose their ability to bend during a solar eclipse and predicted when it would come, but they also found out about Sozen's Comet which would magnify their powers shortly after the eclipse. This meant they had a limited window of opportunity to defeat the Fire Lord before he would utilize the power of the comet to end the war. Seeking the aid of the Earth King to invade the Fire Nation seemed like the best course of action. After learning of the intent of the gang's searching the spirit attacked them and sunk the library into the desert. The group managed to escape, but couldn't leave immediately, Appa had been stolen by sandbenders. Searching for Appa they found a sandsailor boat and reached a vulturewasp hive. Here Aang found the first whereabouts of Appa, the sandbenders had sold him and he was probably in Ba Sing Se. Here the group saw Aang in the avatar state up close, in the bottom of his gut Saturno admired the fact that Aang despite being so enraged, he let the sandbenders go unharmed.

After leaving the desert with maps they took from the spirit library, they reached a river to rest up for the remainder of the trip to Ba Sing Se. Aang floated, locked in a giant shard of ice bigger than his body. Sokka obsessively tried to interpret the maps he had "acquired" from the spirit library. Katara played with her waterbending and made giant water explosions when she jumped into the water from a nearby cliff. Toph splashed her feet in the water, reluctant to enter it. Saturno faced a dilemma and a choice of courage and endurance (at least to his mind).

"Saturno come on in the water's fine!" shouted Katara bending some water from the river onto his shirtless back, Saturno made a long, awkward, scream/yelp from the cold water's chilling touch on his pale skin. He looked back at her his contorted in a grimace of icy irritation. Saturno cursed loudly in his native tongue, preferring not to do it in a language they could understand. "Katara my dear, I HATE COLD WATER!!!!" he yelled at her half-smiling, everyone laughed, Sokka grinned. Saturno walked stiffly to Toph's side, well away from Katara who looked at him mischievously while whispering to Aang, trying to incite him to bend water on the annoyed Soldadus.

Saturno made strait blows to the ground that looked like gestures to rise. Stone slabs promptly rose in the form of a nice wide circle. He switched to waterbending with a visible pause and "twitch", the water rose and dropped into the whole of the little crater. The group watched him quietly as he worked, seeing someone else bend more than one element besides Aang was really strange. Even if Saturno explained he was not an Avatar, rather a Soldadus, it still felt weird. Saturno pressed his hands on the sides of the craters, and the water began to heat, a little steam began to rise off it. He took off his armor and plopped into the water. "Ahhhh….this is much nicer", he muttered, "Uuu, cold water save me!" said Toph, loudly mocking him. She scratched her head while smiling trying to figure out what else she could do to him. Toph glanced in his direction and brushed the ground stiffly, a small wave of sand rose and flooded his little hot tub. He slowly emerged from the murky, thick, muddy water glaring at her, but smiling under the mud. "What have I done to deserve this? TOPH WONT LET ME LIVE!!!" he ranted at the skies, Toph grinned wickedly and blew a raspberry at him. He promptly blew one back at her, he scooped some of the mud off himself and flicked it at her, slapping the mud across her face. She stayed quiet and got another idea, she suppressed the wide smile that was trying to creep up on her face. She didn't react immediately, instead she just sighed as if annoyed, stood up and walked away, Saturno frowned worriedly wondering if he had offended her.

After a few feet she crouched down discretely scooping some mud into her hand and washing off the thick earth on her face. Saturno now shaking off the mud, walked quietly to her, she grinned knowing he would be worried if she reacted like she did and would come to her to try to console her. "Toph, if I offended you I apologize" he spoke to her as if he was speaking to a superior, "Yes Saturno you did offend me, you cant flick dirt on a proper lady", "Noted, I apolo-" and before he could finish the sentence she threw her ball of mud as hard as she could squarely on his face. "But to be honest, I'm not a proper lady!" she yelled laughing at him. A small scale skirmish developed between the two hurling mud balls at each other, in one occasion Toph "accidentally" hit Sokka with one. He reciprocated by turning around and muttering unintelligible garbles of irritation.

"It's nice to see Toph and Saturno have each other. Having a friend you can have that much fun with is nice" said Katara, Aang nodded, agreeing with her. He gazed at her from top to bottom, "She is so….beautiful" thought Aang. Over time, he had noticed Saturno's etiquette with women, they seemed to like it, but he felt a little weird when he exercised it himself which was rarely, and on top of that he had no idea whatsoever as to how to try it with Katara. He asked Saturno, once and only once "How do you get a girl to like you?", Saturno knew who he meant, and he gave Aang the same advice he had always been given by everyone, even by the convicts he met in prison while trying to prove his innocence about a murder he committed two lives back.

Saturno was a strange albeit well behaved case to him. He was secretive about his past but apart form that he was polite, well mannered, mature and wise beyond his years, he had the weird habit of looking up at times and talking to someone. When they asked him about it, he simply said, "I'm seeking counsel".

As to relations he got along great with Sokka both brainstorming on anything the other would suggest. Toph and he were inseparable, Aang noted though, that even before Saturno had joined them Toph teased everyone, Sokka in particular. And even then it was mild; with Saturno its constant. Also, Toph had given everyone a "name". "She calls me Twinkle Toes, Sokka is Snoozles and Katara is Sugarqueen" he smiled at how Toph had said it the first time, "Weird though, with all his quirks, she hasn't given Saturno a name yet, even if she's known him for two weeks now" he thought, "Maybe she….. likes him….nah no way. This is Toph were talking about, she probably just likes to tease him and that's it".

He looked at Katara again, her smooth skin, thick lively hair and her alert, gentle, azure eyes, he thought for a moment, if he could have a chance at winning Katara's heart. The thought made him blush, a life with her, maybe even a family. He looked at his friends and a slow chill crawled up his spine. Would the war claim one of their lives? Would it take one of his friends? How badly would it hurt him, how badly would it hurt them, if they lost one of the gang? What if Sokka was killed, what if Toph was killed. These people meant the world to him these people were his family, his friends. He cared about all of them maybe, maybe even Saturno, he couldn't call this boy family but yes he could call this foreigner a friend. He was kind, giving, funny and had an aura around him. Aang couldn't explain it but Saturno had a "feel" around him, something special. "I should try to ask Roku about him sometime" he thought watching the Soldadus, his numerous scars and slim, fit body. A soldier's body.

Maybe some day when they are all older and the war was over, they would look back at this awful bloody struggle and not see the face of one of the group. He shrugged away the thought, finding it a little strong for the moment, he knew he would get lost in thought if he let it progress. Both he and Katara looked fondly at the pair playing, the pair joined into the game happily, upon being struck with two mud balls coming from two opponents turned allies.

Sokka looked at the map, "Ok, we should be around…..here. And Ba Sing Se is here, and this sliver of land called….The Serpent's Pass, is the quickest way across. I'll just tell the guys when they finish their little war" he thought as a mud ball whizzed over his head. "Hello, fellow refugees!" said an unfamiliar but friendly voice, the group stopped playing. It was a man and his family; a pregnant wife and a daughter about Katara's age. These people turned out to be a family of refugees on their way to Ba Sing Se, and seeing as both were heading to the same direction they decided to travel together. Sokka's plan was quickly shot down as The Serpent's Pass apparently is a treacherous route patrolled by the Fire Nation. The family told them however that the Earth Kingdom had a secret ferry nearby that had been taking in refugees for a long time and would be able to take them to Ba Sing Se quickly and safely.

Upon reaching the refugee camp inside the cove where the ferry operated, Saturno found himself seeing a familiar sight. Uprooted families, families that looked as if they where missing members, dirt, grime, sorrow. "Just like home" he thought. He followed the group slowly shadowing their steps, taking in the atmosphere of the place. He followed them to the line where the customs officer was admitting or, mostly rejecting passes and documents of others that were trying to take the ferry. "But he's the Avatar" he heard Sokka say, the woman said something to them then gestured at a medium size group of would be Avatars. He wandered back to Toph's side just when she introduced herself to the strict customs official, "My name is Toph Bei Fong and I'd like five passes please", "Oh, the golden seal of the flying boar of the Bei Fong family. It's my honor to serve anyone of the Bei Fong family", "It _**is**_ your honor, as you can see, I'm blind, and three idiots behind me are my valets. And the schizophrenic in armor is my bodyguard", the official looked at Saturno in detail from top to bottom, he laid back his spear against his shoulder and tilted his head to the side. The official was convinced, "No animals allowed" she said gesturing Momo, "It's my seeing eye lemur", the official shrugged. "This pass is so official, I guess it's worth five tickets", she took out her stamp and promptly marked them all.

Moving off, toward one of the waiting areas overlooking the cove. A guard latched on to Sokka in an irritated manner, trying to intimidate him; she was openly hostile. It turned out to be Suki, she and the Kyoshi Warriors joined this refugee operation after Suki had come back from rescuing Saturno. She was pleased to see them again. Here they learned that the Kyoshi Warriors had joined this refugee operation after assisting some refugees getting there after Suki came back.

When it was the group's turn to go on the ferry, things took an unexpected turn. The refugees who were escorted there by the group had the misfortune to have their passports stolen. Aang agreed to escort them through the Serpent's Pass. On the way to said pass, Aang's feelings as to the situation with Appa began to emerge. He was no longer angry, he was cold. Instead of being sad he didn't let himself feel anything. It was easier to deal with his missing bison if he just didn't feel.

"So this is the Serpent's Pass?" asked Sokka to no one in particular. "Somehow I imagined it being more…..curvy". On the front of the desolate pass there was a gate made off wood, and without doors. On one of the beams of the gate there was a scripture, "abandon all hope" it said. "How can we abandon hope, it's all we have" said the refugee's wife. "Actually maybe we should abandon hope. Monk's used to say that hope is a distraction" said Aang coldly, eyes relaxed. "I disagree" said Saturno wearing his usual smile behind his helmet. "Hope is all you have, it can move mountains and mount movements. But only if you act on it", Katara and Aang in particular listened quietly to the varajan. Whenever Saturno said something to either of them, it was something wise. They understood his meaning and he was right, hope is useful only with action, otherwise it is useless.

The beginning of the trip itself was uneventful, it got interesting when a Fire Navy ship attacked them. Aang bounced the fireball back and it hit the ship. Saturno pointed out the gap in the pass where he passed with his catamaran. Here Katara, Aang and Saturno bended the water to create a bubble where they could pass under the water. Here a giant unagi not unlike the one in Kyoshi Island attacked them. Sokka offered Momo to the gigantic sea creature as a "tasty offering", Saturno slapped the back of his head. Katara and Aang led the creature away after she had bended an ice bridge to the other end of the gap. Saturno stopped half way across the bridge after realizing that Toph was not on the other end of the bridge, in front or behind him. "TOPH, CROSS THE BRIDGE, QUICKLY!!" he shouted at her almost fifty feet away. She placed one of her feet on the bridge, she could see nothing. "Uh no thanks, I'll just stay on my little island where I can see", she said, the unagi's massive tail smashed into her little island only feet away from her. "I'm coming!!" she yelled staggering form the shock. "It's ok Toph just follow the sound of my voice!" shouted Sokka at her, "It's kind of hard to ignore!" she shouted back. Saturno couldn't help but smile a wicked little smile, they were in deep trouble but his two friends maintained a humorous air about them.

Saturno regulated his pace with hers carefully, keeping his eyes on her and the massive serpent. He figured; two targets crossing slowly together, was an enticing target. The creature was preoccupied with the two benders but was very close to the ice bridge. He didn't want to risk the creature giving up on Katara and Aang and going after them. But this logic was in vain, the creature lashing it's tail smashed the bridge, throwing Toph into the water. "Help! I can't swim!" she screamed. She was halfway across, by the time Saturno was in the shallows of the other end of the gap. Saturno felt a surge of fear in him, he could see her getting eaten by the unagi in his head. He threw his shield on the ground and threw his spear into the sand on the shore. "Toph, I'm coming!" shouted Sokka about to take off one of his boots. Saturno jumped as far as he could into the water wearing his armor.

Varajo was a "broken" land. It had hundreds of small inland seas, rivers and lakes. There were no landlocked cities in it, so swimming in armor was second nature to Saturno being of such an ocean attuned civilization. He swam as hard as he could, his speed even with the armor was impressive.

Toph was terrified, she couldn't see anything, the water suffocated her. She was not at all used to the open ocean, this was nothing like the small pond at her house, or the river she once fell into. This was the open ocean, the water was cold, it's touch constricting. A few droplets in the air was all she could see around her, she could feel the water shifting all around her from the unagi thrashing in the sea, fighting with the Avatar and Katara. She couldn't help it but a few tears slinked out of her eyes, "Is this it, am I going to die?" she thought, her eyes wide with fear. She swallowed more water as she tried to stay afloat and breathe. The sea itself seemed determined to drown her, every time she surfaced to breathe water splashed into her face. She felt nauseated by the gulps of water forcing themselves down. When she went underwater for the last time, she found herself somehow calm. Her arms ached, she felt short of breath, her legs ached, she felt dizzy. The taste of salt in her mouth and the coldness around her was oddly; peaceful. As she began to sink she began to lose consciousness, to her surprise, her last thought was of Saturno, "I will fight for you" he said to her. How fun it was when they played that morning and the days before, he was always so kind to her. He always humored her, he was always there, even if they had known each other for a little more than two weeks, to him she was special and Toph knew it. "I don't want to die, Aang, Katara, Sokka, mom, dad, Saturno".

She felt, numbly, two hands grasp her under the arms pits and pull her up quickly. It all came back to her, she remembered Sokka saying he was coming to her. She felt overjoyed, "Sokka you saved me!" she said, her soaking bangs of hair covering her eyes. She hugged the being tightly and kissed the person on the cheek hard, almost passionately. "Try Saturno, my dear" he said. The varajan was feeling the same feeling felt whenever he got close to her, he noticed in a second that even though she has a rough appearance and her lips are dry and chapped. That kiss was sweetest he's ever had, coming from the softest lips he's ever felt. He became very nervous, he felt that flip flop his stomach does when he was near her, those same butterflies. He was blushing, Toph felt awkward having confused Saturno with Sokka. To her surprise she felt the same flutter she had when Saturno had called her attractive, she felt…excited when she was near him. She felt the need to do stuff with him or concerning him when he was around, if it was: teasing him, punching him on the arm or just talking to him, she just really liked it.

He positioned her on his back, wrapping her arms on his neck, he swam as hard as he could to the shore, screaming the same thing inside his head "Don't let it get us, don't let it get us, don't let it get us!!!". As he reached the shore, the unagi had been smashed into the side of the pass, Toph laid on her back taking deep breaths. She had never been this frightened or relieved in her life, Saturno sat next to her and looked back at the group, they were paying more attention to Katara and Aang than to them. He helped Toph sit up and got an idea in his head and made a quick decision "Might as well" he thought. "Thanks for rescuing me Saturno" she said before he asked his question. He looked at her face, she exhumed a sense of relief, she was happy. "Toph as that kiss was meant for our good friend Sokka, may I have one meant for me?" he asked, he instantly thought a series of nervous curses in his head. "What if this kills our friendship, I'M REALLY PUSHING MY LUCK", he thought demoralized. What if this alienates her from him he considered with terror. She blushed again and looked away not wanting him to notice, she felt very weird. Saturno was her best friend, but on the other hand, she was special to him and he was in a way, special to her. She smiled and got up, trying not to look at him, she hesitated visibly as she gently and playfully jabbed him in the arm, "Thanks again Saturno" she barely managed to say. He sighed silently in relief, her smile was very reassuring.

As they reached Ba Sing Se, the refugee's wife gave birth. Saturno watched the whole thing quietly. He liked babies well enough, a mix of feelings dominated him as he gazed at the child. He felt angry, as a moment like this sixteen years ago he was born into the hell of a childhood he had. He felt happy, for the child as it was born into this world, he felt sad it had to be in a time of war. "What should we name her?" asked the husband, "I want our baby's name to be special, I want it to mean something", "Hope, lets name her Hope". A tear rolled down Aang's cheek, "Love that infant and love your daughter. There is nothing more important to a child" said Saturno walking out of the earth tent. And that was it, another word of wisdom, from the varajan.

As Aang flew away ahead of the gang to Ba Sing Se, to search for Appa, he felt his heart swell with happiness, as he landed on the wall his heart sank as quickly as it had risen. Yet another obstacle was in view; a massive Fire Nation drill. Appa's search would have to wait. Within this drill were Ty Lee, Mai and Azula. Slouching on a railing, clad in fearsome varajan armor with a white hue to it, in a macabre helmet resembling Saturno's, was a Soldadus from Varajo. "So Dahlia, tell me about this Soldadus, you're supposed to kill" said Azula in her usual sinister demeanor. The girl opened her eyes, two featureless brass orbs, just like Saturno's, "You need to know nothing, other than he can bend all elements and that he will split your thoughts and your mind open if you let him", she said in a monotonous, almost hostile tone, "He is mine and mine alone".

Now it starts to get complicated. If you have nay comments, suggestions or just want to rant about the story, I invite you to post it on reviews. I really apreciate it.


	5. Some Wounds Never Heal

_**I promise I'll update soon...**_

_**Some Wounds Never Heal**_

The gang used earthbending to go up the Ba Sing Se wall, all of them where rather astounded at the sheer size and scope of the massive structure. The wall's floor and sides where perfect, completely flat and symmetrical. Saturno measured the wall's thickness in his head "Gods, the wall has to be a good twenty meters thick" he thought. His mind wandered quickly to the battle for Lasrage, he in three months of probing could not find any possible way to pull down the walls of the mountain city. In the end he used infiltration and subterfuge to bring the Ba Sing Se of Varajo to its knees. His line of thought wandered back to when he stood, alone, in front of the open gates. He raised his spear, the same spear he was carrying now, and gestured his legion to charge into the city.

For a time in his life, Saturno had thought he might be mad from the things he had seen. As his military career progressed, he became increasingly more detached with reality. Daydreaming more, disregarding what was going on around him, when he was in this state of mind he was aloof and still, and reacted violently when his superiors disturbed him. He wanted to forget, forget everything he had seen during his short lifetime of war. His best friend, during the fall of Lasrage, the same friend who gave him the scar on his leg with a spear when they were children, did not partake in the attack and subsequent massacre of the populace of the city. She stayed with him, whispering the same thing into his ear "Its alright, its alright, its our path, both mine and yours".

He shrugged disregarding the thought, and stood under the arc of the chamber door which led to the general's command station. He could hear bits and pieces of what the group was saying. He could hear the low rumbling of something outside the wall, he didn't feel like looking over just yet. Whatever it was, he suspected it was some kind of war machine, like the ones back home. Massive and powerful fueled by coal and magic, but these, thankfully were extremely rare to behold. But when one faced them, it was a battle few ever could ever live to speak of, Saturno had some experience in dealing with them. The bridge was always the best place to throw a one ton boulder experience had taught him.

The general gestured his captain, a large group of Earth Kingdom soldiers began to bend boulders down the side of the wall. Saturno looked at their coordinated movements, they were disciplined, and knew what they were doing. "These westerners know how to fight" he thought, as the massive half-ton stones hit whatever was at the bottom of the wall and when they did there was a low pitched metallic "bong" kind of sound. Saturno heard Aang say something about a drill. The gang moved with the general and looked over the wall, then there was a blow to the wall, as if something massive hit it. Then a low rumble coming from the inside of the wall, it made the solid stone around them shake, Saturno finally wandered to Toph's side and peered over the wall. One word popped into his mind, "Damnation".

On the inside of the drill, Dahlia looked forward through the thick glass at the drill's sharp, coarse, metallic tip, as it slowly spun itself into the wall. "You never told me Dahlia" said Azula stopping next to her, leaning on the railing. "How you came to the conclusion that this Saturno of yours is with the Avatar. Give me the details". Dahlia only glanced in Azula's direction, she was cold in her manner of dealing with the princess, she had always possessed a great disdain for people with blue blood.

"I arrived at the beachhead where his catamaran landed. And I saw a flying beast, not a dragon, more like a massive six legged bull flying away. I questioned the locals and they say, there is an "Avatar" whom is fighting the Fire Nation and whom flies on a "bison". Saturno is nowhere to be found in the abandoned campsite and his things are missing. I thought then, there was no way he could have eluded us on the beach while wearing his armor. The rest of the area itself, is a massive plain so I don't see how he could have gotten away without being on the Avatar's flying creature. So my guess is, he is traveling with the Avatar, about two weeks later, I caught wind of a Fire Nation attack the Earth Kingdom capital. I figured Saturno would be there as the Avatar is probably here now", Dahlia spoke coldly and slowly.

Azula looked at the Fire Nation emblem on the wall behind her "throne", where Mai and Ty Lee were sitting. "This girl is trouble" thought Azula, "Sir, there are earthbenders attacking the drill", said dryly one of the soldiers addressing the general. "Not to worry, they cannot halt our progress" answered the general confidently, "But just to be sure. Ty Lee, Mai, take care of them" said Azula grinning maliciously. No sooner had the words come from her mouth, a massive pillar shaped, shard of earth smashed into the super dense, thick glass of the bridge. The glass was broken, cracked and bent inward, but not shattered. Seemingly from nowhere the macabre visage of Saturno wearing his full body armor; spear and shield strapped to his back and sword in his sheath, landed on the indentation of the cracked glass and smashed his three fingered, clawed gauntlet into the shards. Pieces of glass broke away from the powerful blow, Azula got into her stance to shoot lightning, Ty Lee screamed from the surprise, Mai was also surprised but not a sound came from her as she reached inside her sleeves for her thin knives capable of piercing armor.

Dahlia strode forward before Saturno could land another blow. He saw the other varajan, his dead, brass eyes widened with surprise. Saturno felt the rush of fear, the constricting, nauseating realization that one of his own people had followed him from across the ocean. If a varajan followed him here, the reason could not be good. Dahlia got into her defensive stance in the blink of an eye, she opened her armored hand, identical to Saturno's and in an instant; sage green, lime green and black colored energy ebbed backwards, into the palm of her hand. Smoke-like lines ebbed in all directions from her focus point, Saturno knew what she was doing, he jumped backwards, performing a back flip in midair leveling out to land on his feet on the hull far below. Dahlia released her blast out of spite, an eerie ear shattering ethereal scream flooded the area. It sounded as if three, void-like voices screaming at the same time.

Everyone in the bridge was mildly stunned. Everyone's emotions disappeared, not the soldiers, the general, Mai, Azula or even Ty Lee felt anything. Everyone felt, empty. "What was that?" asked Azula in disbelief and confusion as to what in the name of the Gods she had just witnessed. Dahlia looked back at the princess, the light flooding in from the windows and the molten hole where the glass used to be, made her look more menacing as it darkened her appearance. "Call it blackbending, princess" she said to Azula. Her brass eyes, her soulless brass eyes, identical to Saturno's were…unsetting most of the time. But the way Dahlia looked then, they made her look completely inhuman; pure evil.

Saturno landed solidly on the hull of the drill, he looked strait up expecting for the varajan to instantly give chase. He lingered there for a moment in the same defensive stance Dahlia was in. After a brief moment, he realized his assailant was not coming for him yet. Saturno ran to the edge of the drill, keeping one eye on the bridge, he slid off and landed on his feet, off the drill and on the ground. He took a deep breath, as much as he hated to admit it silently to himself; for some reason fighting this varajan was, exciting, in a pleasurable way.

He could see the earthbenders retreat back up the wall. Their attacks were completely in vain against the drill's armor, Saturno decided to work on getting some attention from the Fire Nation. He opened his hand, aiming it at the side of the drill. He instantly remembered his teacher, a young, beautiful but demented girl, "Saturno, my beloved friend, remember that when you use the darker powers; you must embrace them. Revel in the euphoria and in the darkness they extract from your soul. Embrace it all or it will destroy you". Saturno felt the rush of adrenaline, then the subsequent, overwhelming euphoria. He felt as if he could annihilate the entire Fire Nation and end the war, a whole other side of Saturno became apparent when he got like this. Heartache stuck him knowing what was to come, "I will fight for you" he had said to Toph, "And if I have to kill them, to help you, to protect you, I will", two crystalline tears rolled down the face of his helmet. His blast much like Dahlia's, let out it's malicious, terrifying scream. It tore a gaping hole into the drill, one more blast and it would tear clean trough the drill's body. Clouds were pumping themselves out of the hole Saturno had cut, "It's breathes from water and coal" he thought seeing the combination of steam and thick black smoke coming from the drill's wound which was at the base of the drill's tip itself.

"What, was that!?!" asked Toph, a slow chill crawled up her spine, up to the back of her brain. No one answered, but the soldiers became visibly agitated and stood near the edge of the wall searching nervously for what made that sound. The gang looked down, seeing the drill moan and shriek then halt. It grunted deeply, start, stop, start then stop, the engineers inside desperately tried to make the machine work, knowing Azula's fearsome reputation. But upon reaching the site, they found there was nothing to repair. The machines where disintegrated, and whatever poor soul that might have been caught in the blast were too. The drill's gears could not function, therefore the drill's tip itself could not spin.

Saturno stepped into the hull and began to firebend and destroy everything and anything. "COME GET ME YOU WRETCH. YOU CROSSED THE OCEAN, COME CLAIM YOUR PRIZE!!!" he shouted to the top of his lungs, jumping back out of the drill, Azula, Ty Lee and Mai followed suit having spotted him jumping out.

The three girls spread out their formation, Saturno slowly turned around to look at them, he was wrapped in a sense of euphoria as tight as his armor. Saturno's oceanic armor shined in the bright sunlight, his malicious spear glinted like a pointy glyph in the sun, his macabre sword rested in his sheath. Saturno in this state, no longer felt any pity for anyone he might kill, he simply wanted to end this so he could live in peace. As the whole group explained to him, the Fire Nation had done truly terrible things, they took Sokka and Katara's mother away from them. They had killed the monks who had raised Aang, the only things of Saturno's mind were; the people inside the city, the gang and Toph. "STOP!! HIS LIFE IS MINE" shouted Dahlia stopping abruptly next to Azula after having jumped out of the drill which was now completely silent. Toph, Katara, Sokka and Aang had earthbended themselves down to the ground and had spotted Saturno, alongside the soldiers they hurried as fast as they could to him.

Azula sized up the opposition, her troops were evacuating the holding area and were in full retreat, the general was amongst them. The drill was damaged beyond repair from Saturno's blackbending, and Earth Kingdom troops were advancing on their position. "We need to get out of here" said Mai, "I know… Dahlia, it seems you were right. We have to retreat, you can fight him another day". Saturno's heart skipped a beat, he for a moment thought he heard wrong, Dahlia and Saturno stared at each other for an instant. The same insignia that was painted on his catamaran was painted on Saturno's shield, it was his mark. Dahlia, assumed a defensive stance with her sword, hiding behind her shield. Saturno could not believe her eyes, the insignia that was on her shield was the same one that belonged to his best friend when he was young; the blood orchid. "D-Dahlia?" he said in disbelief, "Saturno, when you left, you knew this was coming. I have been charged with your execution for crimes against the Black Wind Kingdom", Saturno's euphoria faded completely. He had lost the will to fight. "Dahlia you know me better than anyone, you know why I left don't do this", "I have to, its our path, both mine and yours", "Is this how you treat someone who's loved you since we were children. We shared the same food, the same bed, WE SHARED EVERYTHING SINCE WE WERE CHILDREN AS WE DID WITH ALL OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!!". Dahlia was silent, "Saturno, we are not children training to be Soldadus anymore", she looked back at her soldiers. "Kill him" she ordered, the men drew their swords, some their spears. All ten charged him, his genuine sorrow turned to anger.

Saturno couldn't feel anything, he dodged, he swung, he stabbed. He handled two, then three soldiers and dispatched them effortlessly, he stabbed one in the stomach. To another the smashed his shield downward to block his spear, cleaved the other across the face then stabbed the one he blocked under the chin, up through the mouth. The fourth, he stabbed in the foot, then slammed his shield across the soldier's face, he threw his sword at the fifth soldier stabbing him in the chest. To finish off the fourth he grasped his spear and stabbed him in the heart. Before he realized it, the remaining five soldiers had backed off and Dahlia was upon him, he kept her away, jabbing her with his spear. He had never fought another Black Wing Soldadus in his life, it was a frightening change, he was fighting someone who had learned virtually every technique he knew, someone who knew his fighting style but worst of all, it was someone he loved. Dahlia was his best friend, his sister in arms. Someone he had shared every hardship with, some who had comforted him, and someone he had comforted.

Saturno flipped his shield unto his back, and wielded his spear with both hands. This was a mistake. Dahlia hit the tip of his spear downward with great force forcing it to the ground, then she stepped on it and charged Saturno, forcing him to let go of it. He drew his sword, something he was less proficient with, he realized she knew it and made him drop his spear on purpose to gain an advantage, "Damnation". Both swords sang as they cut through the air, and screamed when they met. With every blow, Saturno came to the sickening realization that Dahlia, truly meant to kill him, with every dodge, every step, every inch of her was devoted to fighting him. Saturno got his sword knocked out of his hand, in a rush of adrenaline, then and there he started to fight offensively. He made a cloud of fire ebb from his hands unto her, she backed away and shrugged it all off. He did the next best thing he could, he flipped his hands upward and struck the South Praying Mantis style. Toph's own style, Dahlia noticed the change but was not sure what to make of it, she had never seen this stance before. Varajan bending depends more on feeling and emotion rather than the western style which was more structured.

Saturno, kicked the ground with his left foot, three pillars of coarse stone shot up at Dahlia, he not a second later repeated the motion but added the same thing with the opposite hand. Dahlia lost her footing and was knocked on her back by one of the pillars. Not three seconds later, she tried to sit up only to be kicked in the face by Saturno's armored boot. When she tried to stab him she found he was stepping firmly on her sword hand, and was kneeling on her shield arm's shoulder. His hand was open, with a small sun of fire in the center. She realized it but said nothing, nor thought anything. She was going to die, she had failed. Her soldiers were under threat by his other hand with fire licking across his gauntlet, ready to burn them, ready to kill them. They could do nothing to save her. "Finish it" she whispered. Saturno, kept ordering his hands to let go and let the fire do its work, but his hands wouldn't obey him. Fire ebbed away from his gauntlets and disappeared.

He pulled off Dahlia's helmet identical to his, down to its thorn crown. The young, beautiful girl stared at him. Her red hair had been cut short, in a boyish fashion. Her freckles remained, a remnant of her childhood, her brass eyes looked at him coldly, every inch of her, was ready to die, as she had failed. "Do it" she whispered, Saturno couldn't help it but a single tear slipped out his eye and unto Dahlia's forehead. He pressed down where he had his legs with his hands and slowly got up, quickly backing off in Toph's stance a good distance form her, as soon as he was on his feet. She got up slowly and put on her helmet, she grasped her sword and gripped it tightly, its leather wrapped handle whispered to her oppressive touch. "Saturno, I will never stop hunting you. If our roles are ever switched from what you just did, know that I will kill you" she said with some hostility, "Dahlia….my sisters. Are they alright, are they safe?", Dahlia looked away "They told no one of your whereabouts when you came to your home to get your belongings. Your father and mother, as our laws dictate had them suffer the punishment suited to aiding a traitor". Saturno said nothing, tears rolled down his face, he felt his heart constrict. A massive void came to his heart. Dahlia looked to the approaching enemy and sighed. With the varajan courtesy she and Saturno where taught, she bowed her head to him. With speed she and her five remaining soldiers ran off to the retreating Fire Nation forces.

"WOW SATURNO WAY TO GO YOU ARE THE MAN!!!" shouted Sokka, the gang was overjoyed of what their friend had accomplished. The soldiers cheered, clapped their hands, hugged each other and shouted cheers of victory. Aang and the rest noticed something was wrong when Saturno fell to his knees. They ran past the soldiers and crowded around him, Saturno was sobbing, not even cursing, just sobbing to the top pf his lungs in pain. "Are you hurt Saturno?!? What's wrong?!?" asked Katara scared for him, Saturno drew a shuddering agonized breath "When I went home to get my things to run away……I was so careful…I thought no one would know…..but Sofia and Palla woke up and helped me", "Who-what?" asked Sokka, Toph shushed him and shoved him away. She placed her hand on his back, not sure what to do or say, he was in so much pain, she was pretty sure he was not wounded. "Saturno, calm down, what happened to your sisters what going on?" she asked him. The rest of the group quieted, they realized Toph and Saturno were on the same page. He looked at her, his face was red under his helmet, "Mother and Father had Palla and Sofia burned alive for helping me!!!" he screamed at the ground. Everyone felt a long tug at their stomachs, "Sofia, was just a child!!" he said between sobs, he screamed in rage at the sky.

The scream echoed across the wall, a great part of Saturno died that day, he would never be the same again.

:( If you have any comments or suggestions or just wanna post some waterworks or blow off some steam about the story, please you're more than welcome to post it on reviews.


	6. More Than A Friend?

_**Methinks, I portrayed Toph accurately in this chapter, lemme know what you think**_

_**More Than A Friend?**_

Saturno was taken inside Ba Sing Se by his friends. When he stopped crying he seemed to be in a dreamlike state. He wouldn't say anything, he wouldn't crack a smile, he wouldn't look anyone in the eye. He just followed the group sleeping with his eyes open, the group was not in a talkative mood anyway. Toph explained to them what had happened, she hesitated but decided it was best. Palla and Sofia had been burned alive for helping Saturno escape from Varajo. Even with Katara and Aang's encouragements, that perhaps Dahlia was lying, Saturno knew better. Dahlia loved his sisters, something both of them had in common. Dahlia was not capable of lying about something like that.

The group was assigned a guide, a very strange woman that always smiled, but not in a natural way. She seemed very edgy and off. As the group went through the outer ring then through the inner ring, Saturno attracted a lot of attention, people either stared at him or got out of his way, it was rather intimidating to see a soldier like that walking down the street. Along with that, he exhumed an aura, there were no words to describe it; pain, rage, sorrow all at once. Saturno, felt like walking, he closed the carriage's door after his four friends got in and gestured the driver to go. The varajan shouldered his spear and marched the long march to the manor that would be their home in Ba Sing Se behind the carriage. By sunset he had calmed down but refused to speak, he didn't take off his armor. He just sat in the living room with his spear between his legs, grasping it with both hands he leaned on it and quietly sat there.

"Saturno, come on let's take you to your room", said Katara as sweetly as she could in an attempt to cheer him up. He felt obligated to at least stand up as an answer, she took his hand and led him to his room. The large room was a little big for his taste but he thought nothing of it. Indeed his mind was slowly beginning to think again, the walk had done him some good. "Call us if you need anything, or if you just want to talk to someone…ok?" said Aang quietly, Saturno sat the same way he did in the living room, in the same stoic silence. As Aang closed the door, Saturno whispered "Thank you", Aang smiled and close the door.

"Wait, so you mean to tell me Saturno is a super soldier from a continent to the east called Varajo which is in a perpetual state of war. And he for not wanting to fight was branded a traitor by his parents and while trying to escape his sisters helped him and their parents found out and burned them alive?!? And the one who told him this is a varajan who was his friend and was charged with killing him?!?" said Sokka taking a deep breath after the long question. "Yup, from what he told me before he quieted up was that he knew Dahlia when they were kids" said Toph, she was moody, her best friend was in a bad place and couldn't do anything to help him, this agitated her. It was late, the sun had set, everyone was in the living room getting ready to go to bed, but found they couldn't sleep for obvious reasons. Somehow Saturno's tragedy affected them all in particular ways, to Katara and Sokka it reminded them how they had lost their mother. To Aang it reminded him how he had left Monk Gyatsu without even saying goodbye, and wasn't there when the Fire Nation attacked. It affected Toph worst of all, even if her parents were overprotective and controlling she loved them even if they bugged her. She understood they did the things they did because, they loved her. She had always found it unthinkable; the possibility that a parent would hurt their child, but Saturno proved her wrong. She knew that talking about his past, his parents in particular agitated him terribly, she felt his heart when she did come about the query. She had asked him only once about the scar on his chest, "H-how did they give it to you?", "I was twelve years old, my father held me down and my mother carved it with a knife".

The night progressed, everyone fell asleep eventually, Saturno at midnight got up wearing only his pants, foot and hand wraps. He hadn't slept at all, he slinked to his door and peered out his room. No one was awake, the house was silent and still. He stepped slowly and quietly, his footsteps were not audible to a normal human being. He took his time getting to the living room, and to his target; the door. Toph's eyes shot open, she felt someone inside the house, the silver image of the world around her reflected everything that was around her for about a mile. The could feel Katara in her bed, Aang wrapped in his comforter sleeping placidly, Sokka strewn on his bed half-covered, drooling on his pillow. She could feel someone walking out the door, the person had Saturno's familiar step. She sat up in her bed and followed Saturno's movements, he sat outside behind the house, then laid down. Toph got up and stepped out of her room, she hesitated again, "He needs time" Sokka said to them when they were brainstorming as to how to help him. She thought for a moment, what could she do to help him, "Face things head on". It popped into her head on its own. She took a deep breath and walked through the living room.

Saturno laid outside in the grass, he stared up at the crescent moon. To his surprise, when he tried to think of his sister's faces, he couldn't see them. His eyes hurt, he had never cried so hard in his life, to some amount of self disgust, he felt the pain of his loss ebbing away. It was still there, smiling didn't make his skin crawl anymore. He remembered his training as a child: show no pain, feel no fear, bathe in glory. As he was raised, his mourning was short, it was involuntary, the fact that the pain was simply leaving. Placing his hand on the left side of his chest, where his heart is, he fingered his scar and scratched it. He scratched it harder, harder and harder, as he touched the scar he could feel his mother and father's touch. It made him squirm in disgust. He stared, eyes wide open at the star shot sky, he felt his hate swell inside him, there were no words for how much he hated his mother and father, there was no curse in varajan, western or any tongue of humankind for how much he hated them. No expression, no act, no gesture, nothing could faithfully express what he felt, fermented, rotten, seething hate, void black loathing.

"So what's up?" asked Toph plopping down next to him. Saturno's feelings evaporated in an instant. "Can't sleep?" she asked, "Yes", "Wanna talk?", "About what, my friend?". Toph glanced in his direction and wondered what she should say, "Are you alright Saturno?", "I will be, I can't feel the pain anymore. I always feel better when I'm around you", Saturno felt the same butterflies when he was around Toph but didn't behave any differently. Toph felt herself blush a little. What was it about him that made her feel this way? He was her best friend, why did he make her nervous? Could, could it be…love? "Toph, are you alright?" asked Saturno, she had been quiet for a while. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine", Saturno sat up, looking at his friend. He found her to be intoxicating, she looked as she always did, her milky gray eyes with green hues, half-hidden behind her bangs of jet black hair. Saturno didn't know how to continue the conversation, he felt a little regret about having asked Toph for a kiss in the Serpent's Pass. They hadn't spoken much since.

Somehow, because of those weird times, when people are thinking the exact same thing, the conversation took new wind between the two of them. "Saturno", "Yes", "Why did you ask me for a kiss, in the Serpent's Pass?" Toph was surprised she was able to ask the awkward question. Saturno felt a certain shrill, cold chill squirm in the bottom of his spine, he knew this was going to come eventually. He took deep, silent breaths thinking about what should he say, "Because..I…want your affection", internally he slapped his forehead. He meant to use "love" but out of fear of coming on a little strong he refrained from using it, but also by saying what he said, he might give her the wrong impression as to his feelings. Toph, felt…flattered, and a little awkward at the same time. Saturno voiced his feelings in a majordomo-like manner, she made a mental note not to order him around like a servant anymore. "You mean, you have a crush on me?", "A what?", Toph tried to act like he did; cool and collected, but she was trying to act it. Saturno always behave as such.

She felt somehow, on the spot, Toph leaned back on her elbows. "What that means, Saturno, is that….well…...I….uh….Saturno you are really weird you know that?", he smiled and chuckled. Toph thought back when they were in the Serpent's Pass, when he saved her. "Could I have one meant for me" he said to Toph, she thought again about his little wish, he had risked his life to help her when she was drowning. She was so scared, it was completely unlike her, and he rescued her, putting himself in danger without a moment's pause. He was a true friend, someone she could rely on even if she didn't admit it to anyone. "I should get to bed, its late" he said sitting up, "Face things head on" she though again feeling the butterflies in her stomach. She threw her arm around his neck and pulled him to her, Toph pressed her lips on his cheek for a few seconds before pulling away, a little embarrassed. Saturno said nothing, his stomach started to do flip flops again, the kiss was even sweeter than the one in the Serpent's Pass. Toph got up quickly and lingered a little, back turned to him, waiting for him to get up. "Thank you, Toph", "Yeah, yeah lets just get to bed, its late" she said, tapping the ground with her heel. A small bump of earth bounced Saturno to his feet.

Saturno walked Toph to her room and thanked her again. She said "Hey, no problem, I'm here for you buddy", Saturno felt a little stab at his heart. "Goodnight" he said, she closed the door and laid down in her bed. He walked back to his room slowly, fingering his cheek where Toph's kiss had caressed him. The little stab was the small realization that perhaps, Toph really was just a "buddy", a companion, a friend, nothing more. He thought better about saying it, knowing Toph's hearing ability. "Should have said, love. She's very dense, or I'm very unclear in making myself understood" he thought to himself. Toph laid still in her bed and thought, "Maybe I should have kissed him on the lips…yuck no this is Saturno we're talking about he's my best friend" for a moment a strange thought slinked into her head. Saturno was kind, smart and made her laugh, and he wasn't a pushover, maybe someday, he could be more than a friend. She was alone in her room, she decided it was safe to think what she was thinking. The thought progressed and ended up with he and her in marriage, she let the butterflies sweep over her, it was blissful, she slept peacefully that night. Saturno on the other hand slept like a rock, snoring lightly. His last thought was the realization that Toph had helped him greatly, he found, that even if he was raised and trained to completely self-reliant, Toph was someone he could trust, someone he could rely on, even if he didn't admit it to anyone.

I think they look cute together, It was kinda tough to think of a way Toph could do what she did without dropping out of character. If you have any comments or suggestions or just wanna post some "Awws" or "Uuuus". Please you are more than welcome to post on reviews.


	7. Saturno the Ahrfazi

_**Please take the time to post a review if the story is to your liking.**_

_**Saturno the Ahrfazi:**_

The next day, Saturno had woken up in a peaceful state. He heard some talking outside, in the living room. By the sound of it, it was Sokka arguing with their guide Joo Dee the strange woman who always smiled unnaturally. "She had been ignoring Sokka's information about the Fire Nation eclipse" he thought, something had been bothering him about this place. He hadn't noticed yesterday because of Dahlia's news, but the people had something, strange, about them. He noticed that there were some green robed men, in shield hats, here and there that looked at them quietly and darkly. They were all uniformed and had the Earth Kingdom flag emblems on their chests. Now that Saturno was feeling better, he was sharp again. These men stunk of something sinister, he thought back to Varajo, he searched his memories, these men seemed to him to be the equivalent of something familiar back home.

The Earth Kingdom people though were a massive change to him, they wore a color that in Varajo was taboo: green. In Varajo, people depending on their social standing wore different colors. Soldiers and army-folk wore red, physicians and priests wore blue, royalty and nobles wore brass or bronze and normal people would wear tan, cream or brown colored clothes. What came as a shock to him was at first, Toph who wore green. Green and black combined are the colors of the ahrfazi which is varajan for traitor, colors that Saturno was spared of wearing due to his blue blood, his nobility. But now, a world away from Varajo, amongst friends who wore green, it felt somewhat strange to be wearing bronze, Saturno never let his status go to his head. He was humble and as his friends knew him: kind, he would bow his head to the lowliest of beggars but somehow felt a grip in his stomach when he bowed to people of higher classes. "Pompous bastards" he thought, "Nobles must set a standard, an example for others, not wallow in their decadence". Only now thinking about he had been through lately, he felt changed.

His sisters were dead by hand of his mother and father, his best friend was trying to kill him, how could things go so badly for him? What had he done to deserve this? Saturno stood up and gazed at his armor, its brass color shining coarsely in the flood of light from the window in his room. A thought crept into his head, "Change the armor's color to green and black", he felt for a moment, he should embrace all that he is. "I am a traitor for showing mercy, I am a traitor for being good, I am…..ahrfazi", Saturno heard, really just listened what he had just thought. "Am I really a traitor?" he pondered, he then thought about handing in Aang. He had seen wanted posters here and there, the amount of credit for handing him in was massive. The thought made his skin crawl, the thought of betraying them made his stomach squirm, the money didn't occupy his thought even for an instant, it slipped from his mind like water overflowing from an obsidian carafe.

"You can't put a prize on loyalty" he whispered, he walked over to the closet to put his armor away, only to find there were some clothes there. Very base green pants, sleeveless shirt and shoes, spare clothes for any guest that might have had that room. He put them on like he was putting on a second skin. Even as much as he had learned over the last three weeks, wearing green was a big step for him. When he finished and looked himself in the mirror, he felt as though he was looking at a different person. He still had the same scar on his upper lip, left eyebrow and jaw. The same short, jet black hair, the same dead eyes that portrayed no emotion, "You can tell a lot by looking at someone's eyes" Katara had once told him. He could always sense some bewilderment from his friends, save Toph when he spoke to them softly and with a strait face. Toph always knew what he was thinking, how he was feeling. He always thought worlds of her, even if she was blind, she was more perceptive than anyone he's ever known, his heart swelled with happiness. He thought again of the kiss he was given the night before, it was sweeter than the one before because she specifically meant it for him. Whenever it was out of pity or if it was genuine, he was sure she meant well. "She does not pity me" he reaffirmed to himself, "I've never welcomed, or encouraged it". A wide smile crept across his face, the varajan in green, felt, rejuvenated, "Why?" he thought to himself, "Who cares" he whispered.

"Let's ask around for Appa" finished saying Aang when Saturno opened the door. Everyone's attention shifted entirely to him, he looked at them a little self-conscious, puckering and wagging his mouth from side to side slowly. "Wow, Saturno you look…different" said Sokka trying to find the right words, "Yes well wearing green is a big step for me", "Why" asked Aang, "Green and black are the colors of the ahrfazi, or traitor in Varajo". The group frowned, "Saturno you don't have to wear green if it makes you uncomfortable" said Katara softly, the manner she usually spoke to him. Saturno smiled a teeth bearing smile, "On the contrary my friend, I've been called and marked as an ahrfazi for acting as I am. If they marked me a traitor for not wanting to commit the acts they wanted me to, then I am happy to wear green". The group smiled, Saturno really seemed like a different person, he no longer seemed…..burdened, he spoke to them with an amiable, tone. "Today is a new day my friends, lets get out there", he said with a wide smile.

Walking out of the house they decided to go to a pet shop to see if they could gain any information about Appa, Saturno walked ahead of the group smiling widely, he seemed to have a certain bounce to his step. "Did you have anything to do with him acting like this?" whispered Katara to Toph in the back of the group, Toph thought back to last night and felt a light flutter in her heart but answered with her usual tone and voice, "I dunno, he's Saturno you know how he is". "But you know what happened to him" said Katara doubting Toph's answer, "Listen Sweetness, I'm not sure what goes on in his head. He's a Soldadus and I'm pretty sure he was trained to be emotionally detached, so I guess that's why he's over Palla and Sofia's deaths so quickly", Katara focused her eyes on Toph a little more, still unsure. "You know what goes on in his head, you know him better than anyone", "No, I don't", "Yes, you do, please just try to find out what he's thinking", Toph slowed down holding Katara's arm, she wanted a private conversation. "Look Katara, I don't know what goes on in his head at times. He's kind and sweet one second and sad the next, he's really messed up", "That doesn't seem to stop you from having fun with him", Toph stopped walking, Katara's probing hit a nerve, "What are you saying Katara?", the young waterbender took a deep breath, "Why are you so interested in him?", "Why are you so interested in me?! In what I'm doing?!".

Katara sighed, this wasn't going to achieve anything but get Toph angry. "Toph, I just want to know what he's thinking", "Why?" asked Toph dry and irritated, "Because it took me an Sokka a long time to get over losing mom, he's over his two sister's deaths in less than a day. That's not natural, I'm beginning to doubt he even had two sisters, sure I believe the Dahlia story, but, it's just, umph". Katara couldn't find the words for it, Saturno could bend all elements so she had to believe his being a Soldadus, she did see someone that looked **like **a varajan running away yesterday, but she could be wrong. The Dahlia bit was off, his scar though, maybe it was real, maybe not. Maybe he cut himself on purpose, maybe Saturno was psychotic. So much of Saturno's story felt real, but so much of it felt like a lie at the same time. And the ways he acted either reinforced the idea it was real or fought it. "Toph, I think he might be lying", "About?", "Everything", Toph grunted and looked strait at her with surprising accuracy, "Katara, Saturno IS NOT LYING, he's been through more than anyone of us can imagine. He's not proud of that, he's not proud of his past and he's not proud of what he's done. If he's happy, LEAVE HIM BE". The group looked back at the conversation but kept on going, Saturno glanced back, Toph was visibly agitated and Katara visibly frustrated. "Toph, I'm just trying to protect you, we hardly know this guy, I thin-", Toph shoved Katara hard. The young waterbender almost fell on the table of two customers eating on the outside tables of a small tea shop. "TOPH WHAT'S YOUR PROBLEM!!!" she yelled at the blind girl, "YOU ARE!!!", Katara felt insulted and hurt at the same time in that one moment, "At me, why?!?", "Because he ISN'T lying, I can feel the vibrations in the earth and I can feel the physical reactions of people when they lie. He Hans't lied to me even once, he's telling the truth!". Before Katara could say anything more, Saturno stood next to her, "Is everything alright?", "No-", "Saturno don't listen to her, c'Mon" said Toph commandingly, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away. Saturno looked back and mouthed at Katara, "What happened?", she just glared at him. He felt her stare cut right through him, he felt somewhat naked without his armor.

Toph and Katara stayed as far away as they could from each other. As the day progressed they visited the pet shop and the university, all the people they spoke to about the war or Appa seemed scared and edgy, either practically running away or asking them to leave. They day went by quickly, they asked dozens of people but to no avail. No one knew anything about Appa or the war. Very, very strange. Joo Dee took them back to their manor a little after noon, and told them they would send food over shortly. As she left they noticed a neighbor peeking out his window at them. This piqued their curiosity, everyone seemed nervous around them and quieted up looking at Joo Dee, somehow the lack of information seemed to be provoked by her. "I think she's up to something" commented Sokka while she wasn't listening. They went ahead and spoke to their neighbor, he played dumb, that he didn't know anything about the war. Toph pointed out he was lying and scared, "Look we arena't supposed to say anything about the war inside the walls, and whatever you do, stay away from the Adi Lee" said the neighbor who turned out to be a government official. An inch away from shutting the door Saturno jammed his foot into the frame of the door preventing it from closing. "Good neighbor, tell me: What is the Adi Lee's function?", the man shrugged and looked both ways outside. "They are the protectors of our cultural Herta-", "I've heard that, the Adi Lee are the men in shield hats and dark green robes, are they not?", the man nodded, "They are a Praetorian Guard of sorts yes?", "A what?". Saturno's eyes never left the man's, he wanted to see every expression of the official, Saturno felt he was almost upon his answer. "The guards of the kings of my country called; Larker's or Ghosts, protect the king and quell any disruptions, controversies, difference of opinion and dissension. They abduct, brainwash, execute and keep strict fascist order in the cities. The Adi Lee are Ba Sing Se's Larker's yes?". "I don't want to lose my hose, leave please" said the man wide eyed and tentative, Saturno spun on his heel and walked into the street with his hands interlocked and on his mouth, his head was racing, calculating.

The neighbor locked the door, the group went back into the house. "Aang, my dear friend. Tomorrow we shall get some wanted posters of Appa and disperse them all over the city and we shall meet the Earth King", they looked amongst themselves in confusion, "How do you plan to do that?" asked Sokka. Saturno smiled wickedly, "I'm going to pick a fight with the Adi Lee".

I think I pulled of the parts of each character without making them seem different from how they act on TV. If you have any comments, suggestions or just wanna take Katara's or Toph's side of the argument, please I invite you to post them on reviews.


	8. Closer

_**Aang and Katara Kataang, Zuko and Katara Zutara, Toph and Sokka Tokka, Saturno and Toph Satoph?...I guess its ok**_

_**Closer**_

Saturno the next day explained to the group how the Larkurrs operated. If they created enough trouble for them they would be most certainly arrested. This he pointed out was just an assumption, the Ghosts of Varajo would sometimes execute you on the spot. Toph, Aang and Sokka where supportive of the idea, if they were arrested, they thought, they would be taken somewhere in the palace. Katara however was not enthusiastic, but accepted the idea, seeing as everyone else decided it was best. Katara ignored Saturno for the most part, even as he asked her for her opinion. Saturno, Aang and Sokka weren't sure exactly what was going on, "Did I do something to offend you, Katara?" he asked her softly and respectfully, she just shrugged glaring at him and left. "What did I do?" he asked, to no one in particular, "Dunno" said Aang, Sokka raised his shoulder in a "don't know either" gesture. "She's got some issues with you Saturno, don't let it bother you", said Toph lying on a mat on the floor idly picking between her toes. "Issues?" wondered Saturno, "What did I do?", "She just doesn't trust you" said Toph absent mindedly, "Why", Toph sighed as a subtle agitation came into her stomach, "She thinks you're lying about everything that has to do with yourself", "Everything? Meaning everything I do or say". A small smile crept up on her face, Saturno was wise beyond his years but if she was not direct to the point he was just as dense as Sokka. "She thinks you're lying about your past, your being here", he tilted his head to the side curiously, "Why? I'm not lying", "I know, I can tell", the group focused on her for a moment trying to figure out how exactly she could perform the feat. "Seriously, can you do that?" asked Sokka, "The same way I can see with the vibrations in the earth through my feet, I can see people have a physical reaction to lying so yes, seriously, I can tell". Saturno smiled warmly, "You are amazing Toph", he said with some nervousness in his system but with a calm voice. He walked to Toph, closed his fist and extending his arm towards her in gesture.

She felt butterflies again when he said she was amazing. She had heard it before from the group, but when he said it, it just had a different connotation to it. A warm awe would be the best description of it. "You close your fist and tap the front of mine with the front of yours" he said kindly, she smiled and raised her head upwards to him suddenly, coming out of her thoughts. Their fists met, he smiled and repeated the gesture with Aang and Sokka. "If I may, goodnight my friends" he said walking to his room.

The group went to sleep almost the instant their heads rested on their pillows. The search had been exhausting, Toph and Katara though, slept a little less peacefully. Saturno was the first to wake the next day, at the rise of the sun. He put on his green clothes and took up his worn satchel, a piece he had since he was a child. It had his insignia stitched unto its front, and countless writings in the strange varajan alphabet on its sides. The satchel it seemed, had gone through more than Saturno. He rifled through it one more time before leaving. He had his black book, where he wrote various things, personal thoughts and the such. His blue eye, a small piece of glass, oval shaped and somewhat flat, these in Varajo are rare to be found as they are made of aquaratrium a mineral who they believed to have come from the Ocean God's very trident. A deep blue with a silver center, it is believed to bring good fortune and protect from harm. Even as much as he had suffered, Saturno found over time a series of coincidences had happened when he had it on his person, great instances that he would rather accept as proof that the eye protected him. And lastly he packed a dozen small gold pieces, a monetary sum he relieved some corsairs of Varajo. These were the last things he was able to obtain from his voyage off the ship and onto his catamaran.

As he stepped out of his room quietly, not minding his surroundings and still wrapped in the veil of being half-asleep. He closed the door shut and turned on his heel, only to bump into Toph who was standing behind him leaning on the wall, wearing grayish short pants and sleeveless white sleeping shirt. Saturno resisted the impulse to laugh, Toph's hair looked like a small explosion took place on her scalp. "Oh, good morning Toph" he said giving her a warm hug and with a teeth bearing smile still resisting the impulse. She just returned the gesture with a smile. "So where are we going?" she asked sleepily, "We? I was going to explore the city, but if you want to come with me you are more than welcome" he said enthusiastically. She closed her eyes and rubbed them, she had no initial intention of going anywhere, she just jolted out of bed as she felt Saturno stepping out of his room. As she strode swiftly and quietly to his door she wondered for a moment "Why am I checking up on him? There's a really nice, soft, warm bed waiting for me. I must be losing my mind". "Come with me I think it will be enjoyable" said Saturno rubbing the sides of her tone arms gently as to help wake her, she glanced up at him "Fun" she said, "Huh?", she sighed half asleep, "What are you sixteen, or sixty, instead of enjoyable say fun". He thought of it quietly and more or less understood the word's meaning, "There are a myriad of things I don't understand about this land, so in advance I apologize if I irritate you in anyway as to my mannerisms" he said politely. She held her glance and miniscule smirk crept unto her face, "You know what I just heard?", "What?" said Saturno with genuine enthusiasm, "Yada yada yada, I don't understand, yada land, irritate bababa mannerisms". Saturno laughed lightly, "I've always loved the fact that you make me laugh easily" he said walking away but facing her as if excusing himself.

A peace swept over her, as he stepped into the living room, plucking up a piece of paper and started to scribble on it, she swayed a little. She was sleeping on her feet she acknowledged, the numbness ebbed a bit. Heading back into her room she said "Saturno wait for me a second, I'm going to get dressed", he counted one second, her door closed, "Very strange people" he thought silently. Toph picked up her robe-like green shirt and put it on, then her baggy pants, her yellowish vest and thick brown belt, then her hand and foot sleeves. She felt, light, a smile crept upon her face, she couldn't explain it but she felt unexplainably, happy. She could feel Saturno going into Sokka's room and swaying him by his shoulder a bit. She couldn't make it out but they exchanged a few words, then Sokka fell right back asleep.

Walking back into the living room, "So where are we off to?" she asked more alert and with a smile. Saturno folded a small piece of paper, and set it on the table in the middle of the room, "I suppose we should go get breakfast", "Sounds good, but shouldn't we tell the guys where we are going", "I've told Sokka", "Ok". And with that brief exchange both stepped out of the manor, in the mauve light of dawn under the vanilla sky.

They walked for a while passing the tea shops, blacksmiths, clothing shops and restaurants of the upper ring. All beautifully decorated, tidy and clean, after a while Toph spoke up, "I'm hungry", "So am I", "Where should we get something to eat" she said, an instant afterwards she slapped her forehead realizing they had no currency on their persons, "I don't suppose you brought any money do you?", "About twelve gold pieces" he said rifling through his satchel double checking. Toph was a little surprised, "Where did you get that much?", "When I was stowed away in a corsair ship bound for the Earth Kingdom, I acquired a few things before I came here. Where would you like to have breakfast?", Toph breathed deeply through the nose, "I guess over there" she said pointing at a small sushi bar. "You like seafood, Saturno?", "I'm a little picky about seafood, but I'll try anything once, sometimes twice", both sat down on one of the chairs, she handed the menu to him. "So what's there to eat?", he picked up the small leaflet and looked at it in detail, "Um...Toph", "What?", "I can't read this", "That makes two of us" she said with a smile. The waiter came to the couple after while, "What would you like for you and your little sister, sir?" said the waiter. Saturno slumped in his chair a little, "I'm not his sister I'm his friend. Just get us whatever you'd recommend" said Toph somewhat commandingly, "Right away, my apologies" said the waiter going back into the restaurant. Saturno became quiet, he tried hard in his head to push away the thoughts of Palla's and Sofia's deaths. "Saturno?" asked Toph after a brief moment sensing his mood, "Yes?" he said brightening up instantly, the waiter had reminded Toph about what Katara had said the day before, about Saturno's getting over his sister's deaths so quickly not being natural. "Can I ask you about your sisters, what they were like?" she asked respectfully, "Of course, what would you like to know" he said with a smile, to Toph's surprise he was not at all sad or hesitant to discuss the topic.

What was supposed to be a brief breakfast turned into a very long one almost a brunch. Saturno happily answered every question Toph could think of. Palla as it turned out was the studious one of the group, she wanted to be a scholar and a master airbender. She had a very free spirit and an endless curiosity that nagged her until she explored or scrutinized whatever she was curious about until she finally did explore or scrutinize whatever it was that was bugging her. She had poor eyesight due to her excessive reading and wore thick glasses, she was also a klutz much like Saturno when he was in a calm state of mind. On the other hand Sofia was a little control freak, she would always scold Palla for having dirty clothes for her overactive, hands on researching. She always had to have everything just so, she loved to paint and was not blessed with any bending ability. She always wore dresses instead of tomboyish robes like Palla, and always tried to be eloquent like her brother, whom she loved very deeply because of his genuine affection and respect for her as a person not as a child. Not to mention he like Palla always, genuinely listened to her. When the conversation shifted to his parents, he still refused to name them, he did clarify though that on the beach the first time they had spoken, he had exaggerated a bit on the way he voiced how he was raised. He did explain that his parents where both highly decorated soldiers from the 9th and 4th Legions of the Black Wind Kingdom respectively. National war heroes, both felt awkward as to how to raise their children, both were dry, humorless and rigid with their children and treated them much like they would subordinates. Palla and Sofia were treated well, albeit without nurturing or kindness, Saturno on the other hand received the training all children destined to be Soldadus did. Rigid exercise and combat exercises with his father and mother with real weapons, neither of them ever hesitated to punch or kick him hard during the exercise. He had apart from that, a "normal" childhood, he and his two sisters were their own family, a loving, nurturing one, away from their parents. It was during the first time he was charged with executing an enemy soldier, in public along with all the other little Soldadus of his age, that he began to get into trouble. He told Toph, his charge was a man named Gretto, Saturno could not bring himself to kill this man. The man was crying and Saturno knew he had a family, three sons and a daughter. As he hesitated, his senior Soldadus gave him the direct order to kill Gretto. Saturno refused, he explained to his officer that if he killed Gretto, it would be the same thing as if someone killed his father. The senior broke Saturno's lip after he refused a few more times, Gretto died that day none the less, the last thing Gretto said before he was beheaded, looking at Saturno he whispered "Gods bless you". Saturno was six years old. Toph was reluctant to accept that Saturno's sisters could have been killed, "They are your sisters, they can't do that, can they?". He explained that although he was a noble, he and his sisters and his mother and father, were bound by the law. And from aiding a traitor, they had to be executed, Saturno commented that his parents wouldn't have fought it. They were overwhelmingly dogmatic and narrow-minded as to the law, and their duty to the Black Wind Kingdom. "What did Palla and Sofia look like?" asked Toph, "They had brass eyes just like mine, and black hair just like mine. Palla wore hers short, like a boy. And Sofia wore hers very long. You would have loved them methinks".

Afterwards, Toph felt a lot closer to Saturno on a certain level, she felt like she could trust him with anything, he would speak to her with such honesty, anything she would ask he would answer, all throughout the conversation she sensed with some fondness. He spoke a clear truth, no half truths, kind off's or maybes. He was something altogether different. After eating they went to a clothing shop and he bought himself some nice green and black clothing. An elegant long, wide sleeved green robe-like shirt, a matching pants and a sage green skirt that reached down to his knees, he explained to Toph through her laughing and teasing, that men in Varajo wore these on special occasions but with one adjustment. The skirt was torn from the front under the belt strait to the bottom, with pants. "Wow, big difference" said Toph between bouts of laughter, Saturno offered to buy her anything she wanted from the shop at one point. She said it was ok, he didn't need to buy her anything, he did though give her something. From a jeweler he bought several dozen emeralds for his armor, and one of these he (after more than a dozen failures) bended into a brooch for Toph, in the shape of a flying boar. Which was the only thing he learned from her so far. She always asked the questions, when he asked her about her insignia she said it was the flying boar of the Bei Fong Family, he was determined though to learn more about his friend the next time he could. He presented it to her with a quiet "ta da", before handing it to her he tied it between two thin strings and flicked the tip of the boar's wing. "Can you see it?" he asked her, her gaze, hearing the vibrations coming form the small brooch, focused on the shiny green present accurately. "Yeah, I can see it. Not bad Saturno, nice details" she said, "I'm glad you are pleased" he said taking up her hand and giving it to her. "You know you don't have to give me anything. I'm glad I came out with you, you didn't have to do this" she said as they walked out of the shop after paying, "I know but I just wanted to give you something to think of me" he said with a wide smile. Both walking back to the manor, felt warm and fuzzy inside, Saturno basked in it, he was doing what he enjoyed most in the world: spending time with Toph. She however was trying to figure out why he made her feel this way, sometimes he made her nervous or he made a peaceful feeling embrace her. "Why is that? He's four years older than me, why does he decide to spend time with me instead of older girls…..what did I just say?!!?!?" she thought. "What am I THINKING he's just my best friend, he can't have a crush on me can he? No, he's way older than me he wouldn't even be interested in me, I mean come on I'm blind and I bully him around all the time he couldn't possibly…but what if he is? No, no way". Toph suddenly yelped when he placed his hand on her shoulder, "Here we are" he said parallel to the door of the house. "Daydreaming, Toph?" he asked smiling, "Uh, yeah, sure" she said short of breath, both walked to the door and he as always, opened it for her, but this time for her it felt weird, as if she was being chased by the possibility of what she had just though.

"AND WHERE HAVE YOU TWO BEEN. I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK, ANSWER ME!!!" Katara yelled at both of them not two steps inside the house. "I just invited her to have breakfast with me, Katara" answered Saturno genuinely nervous of the waterbender's wrath. "And without telling anyone. By the way it's noon, breakfast ended hours ago!!!", "Jeez, Katara, he told Sokka and he left a note, relax" said Toph on his behalf, after a brief moment she realized and said, "Saturno you can't read or write in our language. What did you leave on the table?", Saturno shrugged with an embarrassed smile, "I left a", "A poorly made drawing of you and Toph going into a box with food on it" interrupted Katara. "Actually, it's a restaurant", "Don't correct me, Sokka did he really tell you where they were going!!" she asked Sokka in a ferocious manner. Both he and Aang where in the corner quietly watching the events unfold deciding, that to get involved was a stupid thing to do. "Did he!!?", "Yes mam", "Then why didn't you say anything?!", "I was sleepy and I forgot" he said expecting a storm from his sister. She just growled at Saturno genuinely angry at him, "I'm sorry" he said standing down, "Don't apologize, we don't have to ask her permission to go anywhere" said Toph squaring up to Katara. "You know what we talked about, you know what I told you about him he….what's this?" she said fingering Toph's brooch which she had forgotten, she had put on. "Something Saturno made for me. You got a problem with that? Then deal with it!". Katara had had enough, she grunted loudly, she was furious at Toph, particularly at Saturno, "I cant be around either of you right now. Oh and by the way Saturno if that is your real name, I've got a plan to see the Earth King that does not involve getting us killed!!!" she shouted slamming the door to her room. The group was in silence, "Perhaps I should talk to her", "Bad idea, I know her just give her some space" said Sokka, Saturno felt unconvinced, the fact that there was friction in the group distressed him. "I'll try anyway, the worst thing that could happen is that she does not want to speak to me", "Don't say I didn't warn ya", "Thank you for choosing to come with me Toph" said Saturno. Before walking to Katara's room, he gave her his usual hug but did something unexpected. He kissed her on the cheek warmly. She felt the butterflies in her stomach flutter for the first time in the day, but they moved harder than they ever had before. She was frozen.

Sokka and Aang looked at this unexpected gesture with some fondness. As soon as Saturno walked away from earshot, Sokka seeing an opportunity to tease Toph, said with rhythm "Toph's got a boyfriend and they went on a date". No sooner had the words come out of his mouth she was on top of him strangling him "SHUT UP" she ordered. Toph couldn't help it but she started laughing quietly with a wide ecstatic smile, after a moment she started to tickle Sokka rather than strangling him. Aang and Sokka couldn't understand why, she didn't either. Sokka started to laugh loudly while she sat on his back pinning him down, Aang couldn't resist and joined in despite his pleads for them to stop, Aang couldn't help himself, Sokka was extremely ticklish and not surprisingly it was extremely fun to tickle him. A moment later a loud slam on the door rang throughout the house, not much later after that, Saturno showed up rubbing his face after Katara had slammed her door into it, "Sokka, you where right, bad idea" he said walking back to his room". The three stopped and Sokka was the only one who chuckled a bit, seeing Saturno's red nose. "Oh mock me will you" he said taking long strides toward Sokka, "Prepare yourself for the most glorious defeat of you life" he said picking up a sitting pillow off the floor. A very hard, very long, pillow fight ensued.

For the rest of the afternoon, they played around and did not do anything productive, they all knew it, but for once, putting aside the war and all the problems they had to deal with. It was just nice to spend a day as children should: playing with their friends.

This has been my favorite chapter to have written so far. If you have any comments, suggestions, or want to speculate what were the team ups in the pillow fight or just wanna guess how badly Toph beat up Saturno in said pillow fight. Please I invite you to post it on reviews.


	9. Shadows of a Kingdom

_**Shadows of the Kingdom:**_

The afternoon turned to night, the kids went to sleep. They were all tired from the pillow fight, the one in which Toph beat Sokka, Aang and Saturno. She had a victorious air to her as she held both her fists high saying her goodnight. In one occasion she pinned Saturno under a piece of stone from the floor, she jabbed his side where he was particularly ticklish with her middle and index fingers. "Say it" she would say, "No!" would groan Saturno firmly, "Say it", she said jabbing him further, "I'd rather die", "Say it!!" she said jabbing him continually without stopping until he finally gave out. "I love my skirt, I'm a pretty princess", Saturno felt a foot tall after that, he wasn't mad or ashamed, he had never experienced jokes like that or the sort of idle lollygagging that took place that afternoon. He didn't know how, but it all came to him naturally over time as he lived with the group, he learned how to behave like a child his age. He did ask Aang, before going to bed to speak with Katara about what was going on with her, he would normally just outright ask her but after she slammed her door into his face. Somehow sending Aang seemed more prudent.

Katara sat in front of the mirror on her desk, in her room thinking. "What does he want?" she whispered to herself when she heard Aang knocking on her door, "Saturno, I slammed the door on your nose, I did it once I'll do it again, leave me alone" she said idly. "Katara, it's Aang", her mood brightened up instantly, she got up quickly and answered the door, upon seeing her face Aang thought of what Saturno had told him "Do not let her suspect we consorted this". He took a deep breath and made an attempt to make his "worried" face, "Hi Aang", she said brightly, "Is there something bothering you?", Aang thought about what to say, how to voice it correctly. "I want to talk to you about Saturno" , Katara frowned, "Did he put you up to this?" she said resuming her inquisitorial state of mind. Aang yelled at himself in his mind, "Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic!!!", he took a deep breath, he couldn't lie to Katara, "Yes" he whispered faltering. Katara felt a little more antagonized, "Look, Katara, we're just worried. Why do you hate him so much?", "I don't hate him, it's just…he's secretive. He doesn't talk to anyone about his past, so I really don't know what to make of him", "He talks to Toph, and she's told us stuff", "Yeah, but it's not the same, he doesn't trust anyone", "You don't trust him. Is this more about the fight you and Toph had than about Saturno". Katara faltered, she realized just then, why Saturno's face was always tied to the argument she had with Toph. The young earthbender sided with Saturno and lashed out at her, she was still mad, and funneled that, into her doubts about the varajan. "You're right, I'll apologize", she said frowning and a little embarrassed, and just like that her anger evaporated. "Good, see you tomorrow Katara" said Aang giving her a light hug and walking off to Saturno to report his success, "But Aang", he stopped as he heard her voice, "I know there's something up with him. He hangs out with Toph more than a normal friend would. And he's just….weird, there's just so much about what we hear from Toph, that he's been telling her that seems like a lie. I'm, one hundred percent sure trouble is going to follow him", "Katara, Toph can feel the physical reactions that happen to people when they lie, and she says he's telling the truth. And we are already in trouble". Katara felt, she had lost the wind for her argument, the whole group trusted him, maybe she should just lower her guard and trust him too.

And with that Aang went to Saturno's room to report back to him. Katara decided she was going to talk to him the next day, bright and early.

The next day Saturno woke up last, his waking hours were irregular at best, sometimes waking up long before dawn, or if they let him, waking up at sunset the next day. "Good morning!" he said cheerfully just wearing his pants, walking into the living room where Katara had a little meeting about ready to go. "Oh, good morning Saturno, I was just about to have Toph go wand wake you up", Saturno returned the welcome just as warmly as she made it, it was nice to have her talking to him again. "Now, I've got wind about a party that the king is throwing for his bear. I think, and no offense intended to Saturno's plan, we should take the chance to try and sneak in and talk to the Earth King", "It settled then, we shall take Katara's plan" said Saturno instantly, "How's that that we're going to see him? One doesn't just "pop" in on the Earth King" interjected Toph mimicking Joo Dee, "Just like that, you're behind it?" asked Katara to Saturno a little vexed by his sudden change in mentality, "Yes, I'm afraid I might have been too cavalier to the matter. Subterfuge seems to be the higher road" he said with a wide smile on his face. The group was in agreement, Katara's subterfuge over Saturno's public anarchy. "You mean, platypusbear?" asked Aang, "Uh no it just says bear" answered Katara, "Certainly you mean his pet skunkbear" said Sokka, to no one in particular. "Or his armadillobear" said Toph, enthusiastically adding ideas, "Gofferbear?" asked Aang following suit.. "No it just says bear", a confused silence fell amongst them, "This place is **weird" **added Toph. Saturno had an awfully confused looked on his face, "Armadillobear, platypusbear, skunkbear, the west is **weird" **finished Saturno crawling into a little ball, sitting on one of the floor pillows. The group smiled at his comment, he really was a fish out of water with them. "The palace will be packed, we can sneak in with the crowd" said Katara wrapping up the last strings of her plan when Toph interjected a plain and final "Wont work". Toph laid on her back afterwards, picking her nose.

The group looked amongst themselves, "Why not?" asked Katara genuinely stumped as to why her seemingly sly plan would not work. "No offense to you simple country folk. But a **real** society crowd would spot you a mile away, you got no manners" said Toph surely, plucking up a sweet roll. "Excuse me! I've got no manners?" said Katara clearly surprised, "You're not exactly Lady Fancyfingers" she finished saying. The young waterbender crossed her arms. "I learned proper society manners and chose to leave it. You never learned anything, and frankly it's a little too late" said Toph. Sokka excitedly commented, "But **you** learned it. You could teach us", "Yeah I've mastered every element, how hard can manners be?" said Aang with his easygoing smile. He then took a curtain and placed it on his back like a long cloak, "Good evening Mr. Sokka Watertribe, Mrs. Katara Watertribe, Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty" he said bowing to each of them. Saturno smiled a teeth bearing smile and said "Aang, I have it on good authority that smug people close their eyes when they speak, open your eyes boy", "What authority is that?" he asked, "My superiors closed their eyes while giving their speeches…..very smug bunch, very overconfident and sure of themselves". "Oh Soldadus Saturno how you do go on" said Sokka putting on another curtain cloak, Aang overdid the gesture of bowing his head to Sokka, who then followed suit, then Aang, then Sokka, then both at the same time accidentally bashed their head into each other's. Saturno couldn't help it, he started to laugh full blown. It sounded somewhat to be the laugh of a maniacal genius and a dorky boy's mixed together. The group was silent, then everyone started to laugh, he on the other hand promptly stopped between his laughing and snorting gasps, "What was **that?!**" said Katara in a gasp between bouts of laughter. Saturno somehow always seemed so much older and sterner than the rest of the group. Smiles easily but never laughs, hearing him laugh now was really hilarious. "Yes, now you know my shame, Saturno's awkward laughter" he said clamming up with a wide smile, "Don't worry, we wont tell anyone" said Aang taking deep breaths, smiling. "Look guys, back on point" said Toph just finishing laughing, she glanced in Saturno's direction and chuckled a little more, "Ok, look guys, as to getting inside the party, Katara can pull it off and Saturno's perfect but the two of you would be lucky to pass of for buss boys" she said pointing to the two of them. "But I feel so fancy" said Sokka in his defense rubbing his forehead.

As the morning turned to night, the group mostly lounged around until the girls at dusk decided to go get dressed and told Saturno to do the same. After a few hours both girls came out of the dressing room. Both wore matching dresses; light, tan colored dresses with embroiled edges, ornate headpieces and lotus flowers in their hair. Both struck their poses with their fans, then giggled, a little embarrassed or nervous as any young girls would be. "Wow, you look beautiful" said Aang as Sokka flicked the side of his head, blushing slightly. Before she could answer Toph covered Karara's mouth with her fan, "No talking to the commoners Katara, first rule of society. Where's Saturno by the way?" she asked. She had been so busy she hadn't noticed he was just coming out of the bathroom. "Good evening ladies" he said walking into the living room fully dressed, bathed and shaved. He wore a strange conglomeration of western clothing but with a varajan look. His bronze boots, with sage green pants, skirt and a wrap around his torso in which he wore a proper fine dining shirt underneath, the wrap itself was purely varajan, a dark green curtain wrapped around his torso, it reached down to his belt and covered him from chest to back. His longish, jet black hair was shiny and smoothed backwards. His face was freshly shaved and neat. "My, with these two ladies with me I'll be the envy of every man in the party" he said shifting back into the refined, charismatic, savvy part of his personality. The girls smiled, Katara in particular noticed how grown up Saturno really looks, he wasn't half bad looking either. "How does he look?" whispered Toph to Katara discretely, "Good, really good. You know, one would never notice one one's own, but he is actually pretty handsome". Toph smiled.

The group split up and gave their final good lucks and split up into their particular teams. When Katara, Toph and Saturno got to the party, Toph presented the guard with a Bei Fong Family seal. The guard wasn't impressed, he sent them all off the line. The girls sensing that one of the green robed men was of importance, a man with a long moustache and goatee who the soldiers bowed to, they hitched on to him claiming they had lost their invitation because of Toph's blindness. He introduced himself as Long Feng, head of the Dai Lee, passing the guard who didn't let them in, the girls blew two raspberries at him.

Saturno had a small chill crawl up his spine, Long Feng didn't seem as bloodthirsty or cold blooded as he had pictured but something struck him as sinister the instant that they lost sight of him when they got inside and he reappeared but an instant later in front of them. The rest of the evening was a blur so to speak. They met up with Aang and Sokka who had successfully infiltrated the party as servants. The situation got complicated quickly though, Joo Dee noticed that they were here and instantly became fearful. In a pulling contest with Sokka's plate, she shoved him onto Aang who spilled a whole jug of tea unto another guest. He then used his airbending to dry her off. Their cover was blown. All the while Saturno was quietly cursing in varajan, "This is going to end badly" he muttered in varajan, "Far shucrad sa brolo' dov", Aang proceeded to distract the people of the party by bending the teas off their cups and into a circle with a myriad of colors. This gave the rest an opportunity to get closer to where the Earth King was going to be judging from the procession of soldiers.

The regal carriage arrived, but as soon as it did, it was taken away. Saturno got the feeling, this Long Feng knew, they blew their cover but he knew something. It was a trap. Saturno couldn't see his friends, they had suddenly disappeared from their vantage points, away from direct public view. Aang was heading to the Earth King's procession to catch up with him. Saturno backed himself into a corner seeing as whatever caught Katara, Toph and Sokka was likely coming for him too, and this something couldn't sneak up on him from anywhere but forward. He was wrong. Two stone hands caught him from above, one over his mouth the other by the arm. The instant he tried to struggle free half a dozen other hands locked him in a vice grip. Unable to move, he was taken to a back room in the same building, Toph and Katara where in similar states of restraint. Sokka on the other hand was being taken by hand by a single guard. Sokka was muffled by one stone hand, the Dai Lee agent didn't want to hear any wining.

Aang followed shortly after with Long Feng. In the room, aglow with the green mineral fueled flame in the fireplace, Long Feng explained the entirety of how things were run the city. The king was but a powerless figurehead, a puppet. The news of the war was repressed, it's people kept in blissful ignorance. And that Aang along with his little group, would be watched at all times by Dai Lee agents. It was obvious that Long Feng also knew something about Appa, he phrased it, "I've heard you've been looking for your sky bison. It would be a shame if you could not complete your quest". As the group was escorted out of the room, Joo Dee came back. Only it was not Joo Dee, it was another woman who spoke just as monotonously as her and looked identical to her, only; a different face. Before leaving, Saturno muttered, "Why do I feel as though I've left one Therakonia to find myself in another". The group felt a little unsettled, about Appa, their new enemy and one last, brief realization that gave rise to a few questions, the most prominent of which was "Saturno grew up in a place like this?".

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The episode "City of Walls and Secrets" was the episode this chapter was based on, it might seem a little bit lacking but the next chapter in the series is how they execute Saturno's plan and it all turns out differently than in the series. If you have any comments or reviews you'd like to give, please you are more than welcome to post them on reviews.


	10. Tales of Ba Sing Se: Saturno

**Please as always: any comments, reviews or chatty bits. I invite you to post them on reviews.**

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**Tales of Ba Sing Se: Saturno**

The day after the pillow fight, which ended in more or less a draw. The group went about their separate ways. Aang went around the city and eventually found himself in a petting zoo. Saddened by the animal's condition, not to mention the zoo's itself, he decided to earthbend an area outside in the plains as a wider living space for the animals. Sokka found himself in a poetry class for haikus. He was drawn more or less unwillingly into a battle of poetry with the teacher due to being a bother of sorts by trying to show off to the girls. He was winning until, by trying to show off yet again, he was chucked out of the classroom by it's guard. It was a valiant attempt on his part though. Katara and Toph went out on what they called "A Girl's Day Out", They went to a spa for most of the day, in which Katara had a wonderful time, the pampering was something she was really looking forward to. Toph though, was less than enthusiastic, but learned by the end of the day; that doing girly things like this, was kind of fun. The spa employees also learned something new that day: holding the young earthbender down, and trying to scrub away the dirt and work away the calluses on her feet, without permission and without a gentle hand, was not a wise thing to do.

Saturno before he knew it, found himself alone. Still, the whole west to him was a mystery. There was a myriad of things he did not understand, and even more he did not know about yet. Things such as: the sushi he had with Toph the morning before, were a foreign thing to him. He dressed up in his impromptu varajan outfit and headed out with his perpetually sunny disposition.

It was early morning by the time he had reached the lower ring. The seedier inhabitants of said place eyed him evilly, judging whenever if they could mug him. His intimidating spear and facial scars, proved to be good deterrents as all of them decided risking grievous injury to mug him was not worth it. An hour into the lower ring, amongst the slums, a smell caught his nose. It was floral and palpable. At first he thought it was a flower, but something about it struck him as different; he could almost taste it. The smell seemed to come from something, edible. With his stomach growling he sniffed out the source of the delicious smell. It turned out to be a tea shop, although he didn't know that at the time. He walked in and found it to be a cozy albeit rundown establishment. Not paying much attention to his surroundings he took the left corner table and rested his lance against the wall and set his satchel next to the same. He noticed only know, paying more attention to the people around him, that they were all glancing at him constantly. He concluded that Varajo, being such a paranoid and secretive place, these people had probably never seen or heard about varajans before. He attracted a lot of attention. Normally he would mind, he himself having the capacity to be paranoid and think of all angles, but now, he kind of liked it. A few people stopped him before just to chat about where he's from. When he told them he was from Varajo, a continent to the east, they all gave him the same reluctant look. A person claiming to come from a continent no one's heard of is a hard tale to swallow.

As he sat contemplating this, he was approached by a boy his age, wearing baggy clothing and an apron. "Can I take your order" said the boy in an exhausted tone, the tone of someone who deeply hates what they are doing for a job. What struck Saturno as odd from the boy was his scar, a burn on his left eye. Saturno smiled politely, and asked "What is served here?", "Tea", "Tea? What's that?" asked Saturno enthusiastically curious. The young boy slapped his forehead and grinded his teeth, "You come to a tea shop without knowing what tea is?" said the boy, "What's your name?" asked Saturno. "Zuko" was the word that popped into the prince's head, suppressing it and responding to a different name was a tedious task. "That's none of your business" he said sternly, Saturno felt a little offended, "What will I call you if I don't know your name" he finished saying as sweetly as he could. Zuko felt a little sorry for the foreigner, partly because he seemed really lost and the other because he was being very nice to him, despite the prince's attitude and didn't fly off the handle like most others in the lower ring did. Also, Saturno showed an understanding patience that reminded him of uncle Iroh. "You're not from around here, are you?" asked the prince lowering his guard, "Right you are, my name is Saturno, what is yours?" he asked with a smile. The prince quickly remembered his false name, "Lee", Saturno smiled widely, "Thank you Lee, I'm Saturno" he said shaking Zuko's hand in a one sided greeting, "You've already told me you name", "Truly? I apologize, my mind is a little overwhelmed by all the new sights of this land. Not to mention I am a little forgetful". Zuko couldn't help but smile. Iroh noticed the talking between them and came over to make sure Zuko wasn't harassing any customers. "Good morning" he said to Saturno, "Lee, are we getting along well?", Zuko shrugged shifting back into his moody state, "Yeah uncle, I'll go work out back", "But what about the customer?", "Saturno? Yeah, please do him the honor of serving his tea. Even if he doesn't know what it is" said Zuko going into the door for the kitchen. Iroh's eyes widened, "You don't know what tea is?!?" he asked the boy, slightly horrified. Saturno looked at Iroh innocently, as if not knowing what this tea was, was something of great importance. "No, in my homeland there is nothing of the sort", Iroh almost choked. "Lee!! Get Saturno some tea, one of each!!!" he shouted to Zuko who was working in the kitchen. A low grunt of irritation came from the other side of the door. Iroh sat down leaving the other waiters to work. Saturno's blissful ignorance of the beauty of tea was something Iroh had to remedy and this was a tad more important than the other patron's needs. The pair had introduced themselves and chatted for a while. Apparently Saturno's homeland had no tea, ever. This appalled Iroh who finished saying, "I know there's no use crying over something you've never known but, that is so, sad". Zuko came with a plate with a dozen different cups of tea and set them down on the table, Iroh was quick to shoo him away before giving Saturno his introduction to tea. "Alright Saturno, this is red tea" he said holding the little cup, "It's strong, aromatic and has a warm aftertaste". Saturno took the cup and smelled it deeply, imitating what Iroh did with his cup, his mouth watered breathing in the smell. "I caught this scent outside Mooshi!" he said recognizing it , "Yes, we had a large shipment this week, if you like you can help yourself to some later". Saturno took a long sip off the little cup, Iroh looked at him with hopeful eyes waiting for his reaction. The Soldadus, had a long smile creep up on his face, "Dear Gods, this, is, scrumptious" he said with an awed demeanor, Iroh smiled and laughed, the varajan had taken a liking to the tea. This was the beginning of a lifelong love affair between Saturno and this mystical nectar called tea, that would be with him until the end of his days.

After about half an hour he set out again, after thanking Iroh and Zuko, his new tea shop friends. Before he left, but not before being subjected to various different teas, he took with him several portions of tea leaves with him. "Remember Saturno" said Iroh, "Tea calms the spirit and steadies the mind" he explained with his pleasant smile as Saturno marched off.

Saturno in one day covered a lot of ground. He walked from the lowest parts of the rings to the highest of the upper rings. He saw Aang flying about with his glider looking for Appa. He petted Momo who had a few, large, black cats with him, before they dashed off again. He also saw Toph and Katara crossing a bridge in the upper ring. He saw the pair exchange words with a trio of girls. Toph laughed then opened a hole in the ground and they fell into the canal. Katara then swept them away with waterbending. In the late afternoon he met up with Iroh again who was making his way to a quiet hill with a single tree on it. Iroh saw him and nodded his head acknowledging he was there. Saturno returned the nod and left Iroh be, he seemed sad and had some things with him, amongst which was a portrait. Saturno wondered, even though he did not stick around to see what he was doing, that Iroh was perhaps mourning someone.

Saturno walked for a while more and eventually his curiosity brought him to an instrument shop. He bought what he thought to be a violin, which was his favorite musical instrument. The rest of the day went by quickly, he settled back in the manor and sat in the steps of the house. He tuned the instrument and started to play varajan music. The lone musician quickly became two as a young noble girl who was coming back home from music class sat down with him with the same instrument as he and started to play a variant of his song which she heard from him and began to mimic it. Her friends homed in on her after a while and eventually six musicians settled in front of the manor. As they continued, people began to gather and watch. The little orchestra continued for an hour.

"How did your day go?" asked Aang converging with the girls who had already met up with Sokka and were heading back home. "Fun" they all said in unison, "Did you find anything about Appa?" asked Katara, "No" answered Aang, a little disappointed. Before anyone could continue the conversation Toph asked "Do you hear that?", "What?" asked Sokka, "Music" she answered. The team kept on going to the manor, and as they approached, they began to hear the music too. "Leave him alone and look at what he ends up doing" said Sokka smiling as he saw the scene. There was a mob of people in front of his house, some were dancing, others were listening. Saturno had a plate in front of the steps of the stairs and it was overflowing with copper pieces that people threw on it. His friends stood there, listening for about a half hour without calling or interrupting him. Varajan music was unique and had a strange tune to it, as strange as it sounds the best words to describe it would be: Shrill, snakelike, mesmerizing. After the little concert was over the mob clapped and cheered the little orchestra. Saturno said goodbye to his musician friends and sat in the steps for a while, just taking everything in. The day, the taste of the tea, his new friends. Everything was perfect. After the group dispersed, Saturno noticed the gang was standing in front of him. "Bravo sir, bravo" said Sokka clapping slowly with a sincere smile, "Wow where did you learn to play like that?" asked Aang enthusiastically. "In my homeland, all children are taught to play at least one instrument" answered Saturno, "You made a lot of money today" said Katara idly. Saturno took up the little plate and offered it to her, "Are you bribing me?" she asked, a little confused, "No" said Saturno quietly, he just wanted to give her the pieces because she always seemed to him to be the responsible adult in the group. "You are the matron of the group I suppose you should hang on to them", "Matron?" asked Aang not knowing what that is, "Um...thank you?" said Katara.

The five kids still left went into the living room to chat for a while, but that turned into a pillow fight as Saturno wanted a rematch from yesterday's defeat. "I demand a victor from yesterday's loss, we shall fight!" he said resolutely, "Oh, back for another wailing boys?" she said plucking up a pillow and rolling up her sleeves revealing her tone arms with an impish smile on her face and handing a pillow to Katara. Aang and Sokka had second thoughts, "Come now men, we might be outclassed and outmatched, but we will not go down without a figh-" and beforehe could finish the sentence, Toph brought her pillow across the back of his head with full force. Sokka and Aang were a little reluctant to get into the fight, somehow it seemed a bad idea to join in, when Toph knocked down Saturno without bending. A guy who is much taller and heavier than her. But to the group it came as of no surprise.

I apologize, I took very long to add this and I messed up the order by not paying attention (I havent logged on for two weeks because I was finishing upn at school). I'll add the next chapter as soon as I can.


	11. The Green Ahrfazi and The Blue Spirit

**This is the Lake Laogai Episode version, I worked hard to make everything seem coherent in the character's actions. I'm done with school so I will be adding more chapters very soon. Any comments, thoughts or suggestions, I invite you to post them on ****reviews**

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**The Green Traitor and The Blue Spirit:**

The next morning the gang took up Saturno's plan to make posters of Appa, create trouble for the Dai Lee and get themselves arrested. When they got into the Dai Lee headquarters the idea was to break out and see the Earth King in the royal palace. The gambit that had to be taken was the bet that the headquarters was **in** the palace to begin with.

Sokka, Toph and Saturno sat around in the living room waiting for Katara and Aang to come back with the posters. The young watertribe boy lay on his stomach crudely drawing Appa sketches on dozens of sheets of paper. Saturno sat next to Toph who was helping him with the difficult task of bending the emeralds he had bought, into his armor to give it a dark, sage colored color and hue.

Katara and Aang bolted through the door. "We found a printer to make our posters" she said holding one up for them to see, Aang pointed at it and nodded his head impishly, as to show off its quality. "Wait, I thought making the Appa posters was my job" said Sokka holding up his poster, doodle, drabble or whatever was the thing drawn on the parchment. Katara withheld her laughter and fingered the drawing, "Sokka, Appa's arrow is on his head" said Aang gesturing his own, "That **is **his head" answered Aang, "Why are there horns coming out of it?" asked Katara confused but amused. "Those are his legs!...Look I haven't seen him in a while" said Sokka slumping down, trying to remember Appa in detail. "That looks just like him to me! Here's your helmet" she said smiling and handing Saturno his horned headpiece, the varajan started to laugh quietly, snorting even quieter. "That's cruel Toph" he said calming down after which Sokka said, "Thank you I worked really….Why do you feel the need to do that?" he said to her realizing the joke. "Let's just stick to the professionals" said Katara with a smile of consolation as Sokka tore up his drawing, "Let's get busy!" said Aang interrupting with two handfuls of posters.

The group made a blitzkrieg of sorts, simply spreading around the posters all over the city. Aang and Momo dispersed them by air, Katara spread them by the canals bending the water to travel quickly through them. Sokka and Toph went to where Toph could sense the most masses of people and gave some to them and Saturno bended the air under him with his lance, bouncing from roof to roof spreading the parchments on passersby. He went back to see Iroh to have a cup of tea and hand him a pamphlet only to be told by the owner of the tea shop that some other patron, "poached" him and Iroh was setting up his own tea shop. From the next few roofs he saw Zuko standing on one of them looking around the skies with a flier in his hand. Before Saturno could reach him Zuko ran off, probably to Iroh side. "Something must be on his mind, thought Saturno having seen Zuko's expression.

After the initial wave, the crew met back in their manor and waited for news. An air of anticipation was about them, expecting the whereabouts of Appa to come at any moment. Katara and Sokka played a card game and Aang watched impatiently. Toph bounced a ball off the wall while laying on her back, she tried to place it in tune with Saturno who had "acquired" an anvil and a small hammer and hand made a makeshift forge out by earthbending and was re-forging his long sword into something more personal and specific, he had been sketching different models for his lance, armor, shield and sword for the past few days. He heard the door open and people talking inside, he peered over the side of the house and saw Joo Dee leaving. Saturno thought that perhaps the gang had more or less said, "We are going to do what we need to do with or without permission" judging from the body language of their hostess and Aang's tone of voice from inside the house. Saturno also cocked his head sideways as he heard Toph yell from inside the house "Yeah! Lets break some rules!", Saturno recognized instinctively the rumble and shifting of stone as the wall parallel to him blew away from Toph's earthbending. The group looked at the hole and at Saturno who was shirtless and sweaty from the smith work on his armor, Sokka looked at Toph and said "Again, why do you feel the need to do that?" she smiled, it has always been a pastime to bug both Sokka and Saturno, the latter however was a challenge, the Soldadus never lost his temper or cool and always picked up on her line of intention never taking her sarcasm seriously. Saturno shouted cheerily "Down with the fascists lets break some rules!" with his right fist in the air. Toph returned the comment with a cheering "woo!".

The group marched off through the city to post the posters on the walls. Saturno wore his new armor somewhat self-consciously, he got rid of the horn and thorn crown that one adorned the helmet and his long sword was remade into another much more unique sword. It was two feet and a half long, and its length looked like single, large, pointy fish scales stacked together, one the tip of the other and the other and the other. It has a strait but cruel edge to it. The rest of the sword was made into a strait half diamond shaped dagger almost a foot long. His shield was cut into a diamond shaped shield that covered his left hand all the way to the forearm; its tip also presented a cruel edge, presumably to impale someone. All these new pieces of equipment lacked any sort of design as Saturno lacked the time to finish them.

At a point in time Sokka broke the silence of industry that covered them. "We'll split up and cover more area, Toph I guess you should just come with me" he said cautiously, predicting that the comment even as practical as it was would offend her. "Why? Because you think I can't put up posters on my own!", she answered, a little mad. She snatched the glue brush and made a diagonal spread on the wall, then almost slapped a poster on the wall before falling silent. She felt embarrassed, she just threw a mild and brief tantrum of sorts, she was perfectly capable of putting up the posters but Snoozles was right, she would be better off just going with him. Saturno, who was next to her, placed his armored hand on her shoulder gently while wearing his warm smile almost as if for her to see. "It's alright if you are not perfect Toph. Neither are we" he said sweetly. Toph involuntarily smirked; Saturno always knew what to say. "I'll just go with Sokka" she said feeling better, Katara silently thought in her head, "He really is a nice guy", she began to led up in her suspicions gradually from when Aang spoke to her. As the group dispersed Saturno shouldered his lance and handed most of his posters to Sokka, "What are you doing?" he asked, "I am going to seek out the Dai Lee and make my presence known. Should I be apprehended I shall escape and speak to the Earth King" said Saturno cracking his neck from side to side. "Maybe we should go with you" said Aang, a little worried, "No, just keep putting up posters. I will be fine" he said walking off but still facing them as if excusing himself politely. "We should go with him" said Katara, "Nah, if he wants to go alone on this one let him, he'll be fine" said Toph in a calm tone, the group noticed this part of her personality every time it reared its ugly head; the ability to seem, or be indifferent after someone does something sweet or kind to her. In this case with Saturno, not caring if he got hurt or if he would need help, but to Toph's mind, she really wasn't being indifferent, she trusted that he would be alright without them, he was strong and smart and brave. He was going to be fine. He was going to be talking to the Earth King and have Long Feng talking about where Appa was by noon probably. The group spoke no more on the matter seeing as he was gone and that they should trust in his judgment, if the king would not listen, Saturno they concluded, would make him listen.

As he parted away from the gang who were about to meet some old faces, Saturno's machinations were centered on how he could create a situation that would demand he be apprehended by the Dai Lee. After walking around for a while he found himself in a small plaza in the lower ring. He gauge his chances and surroundings, there were people of all sorts minding their business. Craftsmen going to or from their jobs, beggars begging, children his age going to their lessons and in the shadows of an ally in somewhat plain view, there were three Dai Lee agents eyeing him as he discretely eyed them from inside his helmet. He weighed in his head; what would be the most fun thing to do to get himself arrested? Rob someone? No, start a fight? No, rant about the Fire Nation while firebending? Maybe, but perhaps something with a little more elegance was in order, cunning would be a better word. Saturno noticed a cart and a tax collector going to their station with an armed wagon full of chest of gold. Saturno got an idea, an anarchist idea. Saturno took a deep breath and gripped his lance. He dashed to the wagon almost pole-vaulting over the four guards in front of him and kicking the tax collector off the wagon and solidly onto the ground. The response from the guards was a slur of confusion as they drew their sword identifying their threat. "Down with the fascist Dai Lee. I take from them and give it back to the people, I am Saturno the Ahrfazi!!" he shouted. A little embarrassed by the words that came out his mouth in the heat of the moment, he gripped the air and made a pulling gesture downward, the four guards found themselves stuck into the ground up to their necks. Saturno prodded his spear into the handle of one of the chest and swung it clear over his shoulder onto the ground near the closest mob of poor onlookers. The chest almost exploded, full of money as they smashed into the ground. The crowds cheered him as he threw three more chests, each exploding with a barrage of satisfying clinks from the monetary substance. The crowd promptly stopped cheering as the three Dai Lee agents fell upon him, visibly surprised by his lack of struggle. They bound his hands with stone and dragged him off to a waiting prisoner's cart, not before disarming him and checking him for weapons. They confiscated his sword, dagger, shield and spear. As Saturno sat in the cart wearing his armor he continued to plot, his plan was to break out immediately and get to the palace once he was in the Dai Lee headquarters. His heart swelled with happiness, the gang was going to be so impressed and it would be an even greater achievement to find Long Feng and torture him until he told him where Appa was. Saturno felt, for the first time, that he was finally fighting a fight worth fighting.

The day turned into noon and there was no sign of Saturno anywhere as they found Jet and he led them into a storage barn where they were told that Appa was taken to "Whale Tail Island". Katara was suspicious and easily angered by anything he might say. Toph asked her if Jet was her boyfriend, Katara promptly lied about it and Toph promptly pointed it out. The gang was walking around seeing where they could find some more information about Appa's whereabouts when Smellerbee and Longshot came running to them. After the introductions and concluding that Jet had been brainwashed after being arrested by the Dai Lee, they ended up in Jet's apartment trying to figure out ways to stir his memory. All during this, Saturno was nowhere to be found and Katara was the first to ask about it seeing as it was Saturno's plan to make and scene and get himself arrested.

"Yeah, we saw someone like that. It was a boy in weird green armor that I've never seen before who attacked a tax collector and broke open a few chests and gave them to the people wasn't it?" asked Smellerbee to Longshot who simply nodded. He said his name is Saturno the…Arhfazi I think" said Smellerbee finishing up in her raspy voice. "He got arrested by the Dai Lee, they're probably taking him to where ever they took Jet" she added. After that they managed to extract from Jet the answer they were looking for; he had been taken to the same place Joo Dee took her "vacation": Lake Laogai.

Saturno had a bag placed over his head as he was dragged out of the cart and where he presumed to be underground or in a cave-like place by the sound of the agent's earthbending and the echo of the place. The air was humid and there was an unpleasantness from it, presumably from how close the air was in the cave. They walked for a while and opened a door and sat Saturno down in a chair, these where the only things he could tell from the sounds and feel around him. When they took the bag off, he sat sitting in a chair in front of a wide stone circle that had a lamp up to his eyelevel. A man stood before him and gestured for the guards to restrain him, the bonds on his hands and head tightened, disabling his bending and forcing him to look, or so they thought. Saturno got another idea as he silently stared at the man, to Saturno's mind, he was in the palace and his plan was working perfectly. The ride in the cart didn't seem very far to him knowing how large the city is, the lack of windows on his particular cart didn't help though. "I've been told you travel with the Avatar" said the man who was in charge, "Normally we would just throw you in jail seeing as you assaulted a tax collector, but Long Feng has given us strict instructions to make you amiable to our goals", "Truly? If you know what is good for you, you will release me", the man smiled wickedly. "Your demands are strong, why would we let you go? Actually, why should we?" he asked a little amused, Saturno tapped into the euphoria of darkbending, he is after all one boy, and would need every bit of help to escape. "While my demands may be steep, so is the reprimand if you do not obey me" said Saturno as his bronze expressionless pupils got dilated and grew larger. The guard noticed but paid no heed to him, "One last query", "And what's that?", "Is Appa, Aang's sky bison here?", "Yes, not that you could do anything about it", Saturno bore a wicked teeth bearing smile and whispered in a deeper and raspy voice that bordered on cruel "Good". The lamp began to spin it's little circuit around the stone ring, "Appa is not in Ba Sing Se" said the man, and no sooner had the lamp been in front of Saturno's face, he took a deep breath and mimicked something he learned from Aang, he felt the rush of adrenalin and the coldness of airbending in his lungs, he blew the air out and sent the lamp flying into the man's face. It exploded as it smashed into the agent's face who then started to scream in pain as his face was burning. The other two agents while they saw the movement were a little shocked as they saw their superior fall, those few precious seconds were all that Saturno needed to switch to earthbending and smash both his feet down on the ground and send both the agents flying by two pillars of earth rising violently from under them. Saturno was thankful he was still wearing his gauntlets as his smashed his fist behind two out of three agent's heads knocking them out, the third one almost slipped away but not before Saturno sent him flying into a wall with another airbending blast. The sounds of the fight echoed throughout the cavern headquarters, as Saturno looked at his surroundings he began to feel a creeping doubt that perhaps he was not in Ba Sing Se. He paid it no mind and began to dash quietly through the halls to find an armory which was perhaps where his armor was being kept.

Zuko had knocked out the Dai Lee agent he took prisoner and was in the headquarters, skulking around, seeing if he could find the bison. He stepped about quietly avoiding Dai Lee agents who apparently were running in an awful hurry somewhere. At a point inside the halls, he heard some feint footsteps and slinked into a room only to see an agent dash by. Before he could look outside again all the fires that light the halls suddenly went out by a strong, unnatural wind. His eyes widened and he instantly thought that the Avatar was in here too. He heard the low thud of metal striking flesh several time and a low moan. He slowly slinked the side of his head out of the room to see if someone was still there. It was pitch black, he felt a presence in the darkness as if someone was watching, but if indeed the Avatar was still here, he needed to move quickly. He slinked out of the room noiselessly and walked slowly to the shadows, swords drawn, their dull silvery shine didn't stand out in the darkness, which is precisely why he picked them to be the weapons of choice for the Blue Spirit. As he came closer he felt an overwhelming pull forward from unnatural wind and no more than a few meters he was smashed into a rock pillar that was obviously bent out of the ground. Zuko stuck to the wall, the wind had been knocked out of him but his mask protected him so he was still fully alert as he landed on the ground only a few feet down and only to find that his swords had been sucked into the vortex. "Where are you? Show yourself!" he said defiantly into the dark, a familiar face came out of it wielding his two swords. "Lee? My, you are not a mere tea shop worker are you?" said Saturno, Zuko lowered his guard only slightly, "What are you doing here?", "I don't usually answer a question with another but I should ask you the same thing" said Saturno cocking his head to the side slyly. In one elegant movement he spun the swords and held them by the blade offering the handles to Zuko. "An act of good will" said Saturno, Zuko took them and sheathed them, "What **are** you doing here?" asked the prince, "I'm looking for the Earth King and Appa, the Avatar's bison. And you?", Zuko thought about lying, he sighed and said, "I'm looking for the bison too", "Why? What do you want with it?", "With it I'll be able to meet the Avatar" he answered carefully picking his words, not sure if of Saturno's strength and if he really bended air and earth, because if he did and both wound up fighting, Zuko had a very big problem on his hands. Saturno sniffed the air with his eyes locked on Zuko's who reacted a bit unsettled by the varajan's actions. "I smell a lie. There is something you are not telling me, you have something to do with the Avatar don't you?" he asked, not a second later he cocked his head to the right hearing the footsteps of Dai Lee search parties. "Never mind for now, we lack time" he said grasping Zuko by the arm and pulling him into the light, internally Zuko sighed in relief being let off the hook of the inquisitorially sharp boy. "I don't suppose you have seen an armory have you?", Zuko looked at him through his mask, "Yes", "Take me to it, I need my weapons".

The gang plus the Freedom Fighters got into the headquarters and were making their way through the deserted halls. As they walked they saw a few rooms filled with Joo Dee lookalikes reciting the same lines their Joo Dee usually said. It was unnerving, as it all came back to Jet and he began to remember, he led them to where he was interrogated. Three guards were strewn about, one unconscious, another mildly aware of what was going on, another laid on the floor inside the room with a burnt face, he was dead. Before anyone said anything the conscious Dai Lee stood up dizzily only to fall again, as the gang got closer they noticed he was bleeding a little from the back of his head, "What happened here?"asked Aang helping the agent sit up. The man looked at them with a plain expression, "He told us to let him go, but we didn't let him. He killed our boss and…now….he…I don't know where he is" said the man laying back down. "It has to be Saturno" said Sokka purposefully. The gang received renewed vigor in their search of their friend seeing as he managed to get out ok.

Saturno now armed searched with Zuko for Appa. Zuko though extracted the information as to where exactly Appa was from the guard he abducted in the first place. As both came in Appa reared backwards defensively, Saturno still wrapped in the euphoria could hear movement, it was a group, and one of them, he wasn't sure but it sounded as if one of them was barefoot. Was it his group? "Expecting someone else?" asked Zuko drawing his swords, Saturno focused on the other group's sound so much he didn't hear someone else approaching. "Nice armor Saturno the Ahrfazi, I like the color, and, oh, the Blue Spirit, what an odd pair. I wonder who is behind that mask", Saturno was startled but didn't react, "Mooshi?" he asked, "Iroh actually, and my nephew is Zuko". "Uncle what are you doing here?".

As Iroh spoke to Zuko about how he needed to seek out his own path and decide what is it **he** wants out of life. Saturno began to put pieces together, that he was right, Zuko and the Avatar had a history and something was and has been going on between them for some time by the sound of it. Zuko at one point in the conversation noticeably agitated by Iroh's speech and his audience said in his defense, "Uncle you know what happened I don't have a choice, this is the only way I can get my life back!!!", from what he heard Saturno felt he had enough information to answer Zuko's statement and said, "Zuko, no matter what the circumstance, we **always** have a choice. You can choose to do what is right, or not, or to just stay out of it. We always have a choice", "Shut up!! You don't know what we're talking about, you don't know what I've been through", Saturno shrugged and said clearly, "Because I want to live in peace and not follow the orders of my murderous generals my parents had my sisters killed and my best friend is charged with killing me". The room fell silent, "I'll set Appa free, you have my word" said Zuko coldly noticing that Saturno was torn between this and investigating the noise. "Thank you Iroh and Zuko, I will see you again my friends, perhaps for some tea" he said trying to lighten up the mood, Iroh smiled. Saturno trusted in Zuko's promise, it seemed genuine. He dashed off towards the sounds of shifting stone and footsteps.

The gang reached an open part of the cavern that seemed empty but seemed large enough to hold Appa. When they were all inside the door shut, the room lighted itself and all noticed the agents hanging from the chains on the ceiling looking down at them, "Well there's something different" said Sokka. Long Feng emerged from the edge of the room and said quietly but clearly, "You have made yourselves enemies of the state. Take them into custody", the Dai Lee agents let go and landed on the floor solidly, and as they did the door they had closed slid open. Every eye in the room shifted to the varajan, "Hmm, I thought Jong was supposed to deal with you Saturno" said Long Feng concealing his surprise that one boy could make so much trouble. "That bootlick died. And so will you and everyone who does not surrender immediately" said Saturno defiantly throwing his voice for the cruel one. "I hardly see how that would come about. You are outnumbered and outclassed, save for the Avatar", Saturno strode into the room and said while drawing his lance, "You have **no** idea how wrong you are". The Dai Lee sensing his intent reacted, the three closest to him blew six rock fists at him which disintegrated as they struck him in the chest and head. Saturno wrapped in the full blown grip euphoria of darkbending screamed to the top of his lungs in rage, he charged forward seemingly unfazed by the powerful blows that had struck him so solidly. Everyone in the room was unnerved, gentle, kind, sweet Saturno had changed into something seemingly sinister. The fight was brief, Toph stood out from the rest being in her element fighting in a cave, and she took on two agents sometimes four at a time. The rest aided and looked out for each other, Saturno fought like a berserker, running at full speed running down targets and smashing his lance across their chests, backs and sometimes faces.

At a point, Long Feng decided, Saturno was right and promptly attempted to escape. Aang and Jet gave chase eventually running him down to a pipe area, Saturno gave chase to them soon after, Long Feng being the leader seemed like a much more enticing target than the agents. He followed the Avatar and the freedom fighter as quickly as he could. He found when he got there that Jet suddenly started to attack Aang, Saturno dashed to Aang's side just when the Avatar uttered the words, "You're a freedom fighter". Jet then swerved around and threw one of his swords strait at Long Feng who in turn attack with earthbending. Saturno seeing the attack and knowing he couldn't bend a counterattack to stop the blow without hurting Jet, he ran and shoved Jet out of the way. It was not in his plan however to get the full brunt of the blow either. The cloud of dust made it difficult to see how it was coming though. When the dust cleared his began to scream in pain, his left arm had been dislocated and his left leg was in bad shape. From the confusion Long Feng escaped cleanly. He was gone. Jet came running back to the varajan along with the gang. "Saturno are you ok?!" asked Katara seeing him painfully cracking his shoulder back into place. "BASTARDS!!!!!" he yelled to the top of his lungs, still in under the effect of the darkbending he locked eyes with a Dai Lee agent who was on the floor beaten. "Saturno are you ok?", asked Toph who got in his way as he limped in stride toward the agent with his sword drawn. Saturno seeing Toph only as an obstacle, grabbed onto Toph's face and shoved her away by it dismissively and said almost as if Toph was his subordinate "Out of my way!". The group's blood went cold, specifically that of Aang, Sokka and particularly Katara's. The same thought went through all their minds, "WHO THE DOES HE THINK HE IS!!!". Toph was hurt by his gesture, she might have noticed if she wasn't so enraged with him. She almost dove between Jet and Katara who were watching the scene trying to figure out what to say but now were caught by what Toph was doing. The little blind girl grasped Saturno's spear and strode angrily at him, when he was in lance's reach she swung the lance like a mace hard, very hard on his already messed up left leg. The varajan tumbled to the floor screaming in pain, the agent took the opportunity and ran as fast as his legs would allow, out of the room. "Who do you think you are damn you!!!" she yelled at him, "Gods damn you!!! I had him and you let him escape you stupid little wretch!!!, "Stupid!? You're stupid and you are a hypocrite, **you **said you wanted to live in peace and not hurt anyone now look at you, I believed you, I believed you were telling the truth but I guess you're a pretty good liar. And another thing you **can't** treat me like that!!", Toph's face was bright red with anger by then. Saturno rose slowly and painfully holding his sword, "I can treat you however I please, because I **don't** respect **you**. **You** are a hypocrite too, you say you never care about what others think of you and yet your **whole** life has revolved around it. You are always mean, you are always indifferent because you keep distance between you and others so they won't criticize you. You **always **care about what others think of you and you just threaten them so they will leave you alone", Toph's face was bright red, she couldn't help it but tears were swelling up in her eyes. "That's not true" she said desperately trying to control ever voice and breathing as to not start crying. Saturno was hitting hard where he knew she was vulnerable, it hurt the most because it was coming from him, her best friend, someone who was hinting he cared more about her than to just be a friend. "It is true, I wish you could see, so you can't hide behind the fact you are blind and face your own weakness and how pathetic you really are" he said wiping some blood off his lip. The group almost gasped, the whole group instantly found themselves hating him, and for obvious reasons. Toph strode to him biting her lip, he raised his sword to her in a manner as to ward her away but she promptly and fearlessly shoved it away and stood in front of him not a foot away. The little girl, who was just about at chest level with him standing strait, bit her lip even harder and cracked her knuckles. Saturno rolled his eyes and said "Since you are blind I'll just let you know I'm rolling my eyes and punching me is not going to hurt me", Toph brought her open palm 180 degrees from behind her, to his cheek with her entire strength, anger, emotion and weight behind the blow, he staggered and fell on his side from the blow. The slap resonated trough the cave louder than any other screams or shouts, "I hate you" she said to him, clear as day. Toph then spun on her heel and walked away sobbing quietly, not caring if her friends saw her, but she did care if Saturno saw, she didn't want to give him the satisfaction that he did in fact make her cry. She also rubbed her hand; she hurt herself when she slapped his bare face.

Saturno's dilated pupils returned to normal in an instant. The euphoria wore off just as quickly and every blow that he had absorbed came back in full. He vomited on the floor, the gut wrenching pain from the blows to his stomach were shattering. His head felt like it wanted to explode. He found though that he had no breath with which to scream, he could barely breathe. Tears of pain were rolling down his face, only Katara noticed as the group came to Toph's side to console her. "Help" Saturno said weakly, the group ignored him, "Help" he said a little louder. "After what you did?!" said Sokka angry at him, but after looking at him he couldn't help but feel pity. Saturno's expression was one of utter agony, not to mention that there was blood dripping from his mouth. "Katara, I think Saturno's hurt" he said pointing at him, "Well GOOD, he deserv-", "No Katara, just look at him". Saturno was on his back holding his sides taking sharp breaths and occasionally coughing blood. Katara instantly became concerned and ran to him, she bended the water to her hands and checked him, the group including Toph shifted their attention to Katara. "He was three broken ribs, some of the muscles in his thigh are almost broken, his shoulder popped back into place wrong and he has some internal bleeding" she said. The group as much as they half-heartedly hated him, helped him up and got out of the headquarters after Katara stopped the internal bleeding. All the while Saturno was silently cursing every single part of his being for what he had done. He didn't mean to hurt her feelings, or say what he said. But as much as he hated to admit it, he did mean those things. Tapping into darkbending makes one hard, brutal and relentless, tears rolled down Saturno's face, not from pain, but of self loathing, his parents had won he concluded. As much as he tried to change or turn into someone kind or peaceful, he was and would always be what his parents made him into; a murderer, a weapon, a Soldadus.

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Good chapter me thinks. Also please note that Saturno saved Jet from his early demise and the freedom fighters are always going to be with the gang now. Any comments or thoughts, please I invite you to post them on reviews. FYI please this chapter seemed a little edgy to me as to what the story had become. I would really like the reader's perspective so use your noggin that evolution gave you and take the time to post on review ( I know it sucks but please you would make this author very happy).


	12. The Darkbenders

**FYI the beginning of the chapter is the "assault" on the palace in which they meet the Earth King then it jumps to a sort of explanation about darkbending then the story will continue. I hope you like the chapter. I mean, it's a little blah in my opinion, but I saw no other way around explaining a few things. SO please take the time to post on reviews and let us know what you think.**

**The Darkbenders**

As the gang left the headquarters of Lake Laogai, Saturno managed to explain that he and Zuko had freed Appa and should be somewhere around here. He didn't get any praise, much more a scolding for not having been careful with Zuko, even if he did not know about Aang's and Zuko's history together. The Dai Lee attacked them again, only to be put down by Appa who was making a charge. The gang was finally together again.

The same, plus the freedom fighters began their flight to the Earth Kingdom Palace. There was a happy chatter amongst them, Saturno and Toph were silent throughout the entire conversation. As they reached the palace they decided that Long Feng would probably have a reception waiting for them. But truly, Long Feng had some friends ready to help him. Saturno leaned over the edge and saw the soldiers in the courtyard, and the familiar red of varajan soldiers in the front lines. "Damnation" he whispered.

"C'mon guys!" shouted Aang as he smashed his staff into the earth sending all the varajan troops into the air, only to have them shrug it off. Saturno wasted no time in tapping into his darkbending, he had only enough energy to finish this quickly. As the group stayed in an assault formation, they were surprised to see Saturno limping to the front. "Saturno! Get back on Appa now!!!" yelled Sokka at him, "These are my countrymen, and they came for me" he answered. The group watched him for a moment as he straightened up, Jet and Aang saw his pupils dilate, a wicked smile came to his face involuntarily. The varajan sergeant yelled at the troops who got into a loose formation promptly spears raised and a steady look on their face. One of the varajans bended a few stones at him he smashed them apart with his spear in turn. A few varajans threw their spears along with more heavy stones and fire and airbending blasts. Saturno hid behind a stone wall he erected, then in an instant he made slim shrapnel like pieces of stone burst out of it killing five soldiers in the front line, and maiming several more. The varajans began to attack the gang too, the gang found it harder to defend if not to attack these soldiers. Katara and Sokka at one point singled out the varajan sergeant and tried to fight him. The varajan smashed his fist into Sokka's mouth, breaking his lip and with a single fire blast that had a surprising amount of heat to it evaporated most of Katara's bending water. He also struck her as hard as he could in her stomach, she got the wind knocked out of her. This was the first time anyone had ever struck her, ever, before the sergeant tried to strike her with his spear, another came and went through his neck, then through his chest. When the man fell, Katara saw it was Saturno, he offered her his lance head and she grabbed onto it. He pulled her up with surprising ease considering his wounds. Toph stopped in her tracks seeing him save Katara, she was about to do that. He must have been faking most of his wounds she concluded, she started to hate him more. Before she knew it another soldier was almost on her, smartly the soldier grabbed her by the shirt and lifted her up so it would be harder for her to bend. He only needed the instant this would provide to kill her. But no sooner had he brought back his sword to bring it on her, a sword cleaved across his face killing him instantly. Toph was a little shocked feeling the man suddenly die, Saturno had saved her, again, much to her dismay. In the same cruel voice Saturno used in the caverns, he controlled himself and gently said; "Stay behind me". He walked away making no effort to smile. The troops much as he predicted, seeing all of the gang in more or less a mass behind Saturno, formed up into a phalanx. The formation was something neither the gang nor the earth kingdom soldiers who had stayed behind in the castle as a reserve had ever seen before, in all essence it looked like a wall of spears. This played precisely to what Saturno had in mind, he focused all the energy he had left and held out his armored palm. The same smoke black and green energy that focused in his hand during the attack on the drill surged in his hand, the soldiers recognized it and dispersed but too late by the speed that Saturno focused it. Instead of releasing it in a beam he focused it and blew it, he focused his two hands as if encompassing something then her jerked them both apart. A light that seemed like a perfect orb, erupted between the soldiers, a ghostly light. The explosion was more of a dull, but tremendous roar the seemed to drain all sound into a void rather than make sound. The group was astounded and unnerved, and so where the soldiers of the Earth Kingdom when the dust settled. There was nothing but ash where the explosion had gone off. They noticed too how Saturno went limp and fell to the ground painfully. As they crowded around him, he said "Leave me, I'll be fine", the group looked amongst themselves full of questions, "You are a jerk and we're mad at you. But we don't want you to get hurt" said Aang helping him up and onto Appa, questions such as, "What in the hell was that?" would have to wait.

The group noticed that Saturno passed out almost immediately after they placed him on Appa's saddle. The gang plus freedom fighters fought their way through, very spooked and very familiar Earth Kingdom soldiers. Toph and Aang blocked two giant statues that were thrown at them by raising a shell of earth around Appa. Toph bended away all the steps of the stairs and the gang made their way to the top. The quickly found the royal chambers, Long Feng and some Dai Lee where already there, guarding the king and his bear. In a corned, sitting absent mindedly in a chair was another Soldadus, dressed in sage colored armor and rags. The group stopped cold seeing the figure, fighting someone like Saturno, after seeing all he's done, was not something that they looked forward to. Before anyone could speak the figure stood up and cracked it's neck. "We don't want o fight you" said Aang defensively, "But we will if we have to". The figure leaned it's head to the side then walked calmly to him, the group reared back as to strike in any case, they although they hated to acknowledge it, were terrified. Maybe they should have done as Toph said and leave Ba Sing Se. The figure was about Sokka's height and leaned down a bit to be at eyelevel with Aang. "I understand you are the Avatar yes? Then where is Saturno?" said the figure, with the sweetest sounding voice they had ever heard coming from a woman. Aang lowered his guard, if only slightly, "What do you want with him?", "To help him, he's my friend", "How can we believe that, if his people are trying to kill him" he answered plainly, the Soldadus stood up a little and tapped the side of her helmet, "Good point, little boy. But believe me, I mean him and you no harm". "Enough!" said Long Feng, "My King these people are here to overthrow you", "Listen to what the Avatar has to say, my liege" said the Soldadus. And through this, the gang started a process of which they had Long Feng arrested. Right after they managed to convince the Earth King about going to Lake Laogai, the Soldadus took Saturno to an infirmary. Still not entirely sure of her intentions, the freedom fighters offered to guard their wounded ally.

The group finished and returned, but before anything else they decided to go see how Saturno and the Soldadus were doing. They found Longshot and Smellerbee at the door and Jet leaning on the wall next to Saturno watching what the Soldadus was doing. "You have some explaining to do. For instance; What are you doing here?" asked Katara sternly. The Soldadus didn't look up at her, "Help me take off his armor" she said, "What?", "You heard me, help me take off his armor, I've dedicated myself to feeding him energy to keep him well, but I have not treated his wounds", Katara reluctantly walked over and started to undo the straps on his armor. When they took off his shell, it was a ghastly sight, everyone breathed in sharply, save Toph. From Saturno's abdomen there were three distinct little triangles protruding from his chest. Those were his broken ribs, he had numerous bruises of every denomination and several swollen areas around his body. "Katara?" asked the Soldadus, "How do you know my name?", "The Dai Lee. I know everyone's names. Tell me, did Saturno at any time break out of the darkbending trance?" asked the Soldadus with a chilly tone, like a mother treating her child who's been hurt by his friends. "Darkbending?" asked Sokka, "Yup, he's been broken out of it, sure as sure", the group looked amongst themselves and remembered how Toph slapped him in the cavern and how he keeled over afterwards. "Well, Toph and he had an argument, more of a fight really and she slapped him out of it I guess" said Aang remembering Saturno's change of tone after the slap, Toph shrugged and looked away. "I highly doubt it was just the slap, did you say anything to him?", Toph showed off her hand which was still red from the slap, even through all the calluses, "I told him I hate him". Even through the helmet, the group could detect some surprise from the Soldadus. "Wow, very well, I believe you snapped him out of it, sure as sure. And if by telling him you hate him also contributed to that, he must love you a great deal, sure as sure", the group didn't know what to feel or say, Toph who had her arms crossed was not amused. "And what do you know about it!?" she asked angrily, her shout caused Saturno to stir, he opened his eyes and these involuntarily locked unto her. He looked away shortly afterwards, the whole group noticed his anguish. "Oh yes, he loves you, sure as sure" said the Soldadus, Saturno quietly and with a raspy voice said "Hello Aksavit".

The Soldadus took off her helmet revealing a girl in her early twenties, she had the same brass eyes as Saturno. She held her blonde hair in a ponytail and had very pale skin. "Since you have been focused on Toph more than anything else, I'll have you know; your body is pretty screwed over, sure as sure", Saturno shrugged deciding not to look. "Help me please" he asked as sweetly as he could looking at Katara. She sighed, she felt obligated to help someone in need, even if he was an utter jerk. "Now Saturno, for your ribs you have two choices: you can bite my belt, or I can electrocute you", Saturno said clearly "Sleep please". Aksavit smiled and gently grabbed onto the back of his neck, then a clear electrocution was heard through the group. A grimace of pain, then Saturno fell limp. "Let's work quickly" said Aksavit purposefully, as she pushed down Saturno's ribs into place with three sickening cracks and with a smile on her face, Sokka looked like he was about to puke, Katara closed her eyes forcefully shut at the sound, although unsettled, she worked quickly mending his bones with her waterbending. "You know why you shouldn't snap a darkbender who is on your side out of the trance?" asked Aksavit, "Why?" asked Toph drily seeing as this was her fault, "Because in the trance, darkbenders can take an monstrous amount of damage and shrug it off as mere pinpricks. But in this state there is a drawback; the darkbender in question has to hold the trance while they treat their wounds. You see, in the trance you gain a super body of sorts, it heals quicker, it is more resistant and it's much more powerful. But, your normal body cannot take that damage out of the trance, so basically what Saturno **would** have done is let go of the trance gradually, letting the pain of his wounds slowly ebb away, and gradually fall out of trance into fighting form again by treating his wounds as the trance wears off. This takes an enormous amount of concentration, but what you did Toph, was snap him out of it all at once. This means that his body instead of having to deal with a stream concerning the pain and wounds. It dealt with a flood", the group was attentive and alert to what she was saying, "So what you are saying is that-" said Smellerbee, but before she could finish Aksavit said, "Toph snapped him out of the trance so what had to deal with all the damage was not Saturno's super body, it was his normal one. He must have been under an unfathomable amount of pain. I'm actually surprised he is still alive seeing his wounds" she said taking a good look at his face. "And how do you know so much about him?" asked Katara, Aksavit smiled, "Because I'm his darkbending teacher, I knew him since he was born, starting when I was just six years old".

Aksavit explained the situation to a little more detail as to how she came to be here. She hitched a ride with a varajan ship bound for the Earth Kingdom, this ship was meant to replace the soldiers Saturno killed with new ones and also to collect news as to her progress. After an hour, the healing was done. Saturno was going to be bed ridden for a few days, that was ok, there was nothing to do but organize the invasion plans anyway. Saturno remained slumbering for a few more hours, waking up at sunset. Jet explained to him what had been going on; the whole story, why Aksavit was here which was coincidentally just to help him out seeing he was having a hard time, and because she was bored with the war and wanted to see something new. Jet thanked Saturno for taking the blow from Long Feng for him, Saturno saved his life.

Toph sat out in the edge of the castle wall enjoying the breeze, her mind in blank. She felt someone walking towards her, by the feel of it, it was Aksavit. "Greetings" she said plopping down next to her laying on her back, "Good breeze" she added groaning as she stretched. "What do you want?" asked Toph sternly not wanting Saturno, or anyone related to Saturno near her. "Just to have words with you", "About?", "Saturno", Toph hmphed and glanced away, Aksavit looked at her and said, "Katara told me what happened" she said. Anger began to bubble up inside her, "Katara can't keep her mouth shut to save her life" thought Toph, "Listen, I've known Saturno all his life. I can sense what he is thinking and more so what he feels just by looking at him. He means well and he is a good boy, better than most", "Yeah, right, Katara was right not to trust him. He's a jerk and more….I hate him. And by the way if he had the nerve to send you here to tell me he's sorry. You can tell him off, I don't want to talk to him or see him, jerk", Aksavit smiled, "He did no such thing. I'm a stranger to you and the gang, sure as sure, but take my word for it, he means well. While under darkbending, you do and say and feel things that you would normally never do, say or feel", "So you're saying he didn't mean what he said?", "No, he did mean it at the time", Toph shrugged. Aksavit sat up and patted Toph on the back, "You stood up to one of the most terrifying soldiers I've ever met. That took courage", "I'm not afraid of him" answered Toph firmly. "Good, best of friends should never be afraid of each other, sure as sure", Aksavit stood up and finished saying, "I'm not asking you to forgive him, I'm asking you to understand why he does and says the things he does. He is a wolf living as a house pet. In a normal state of mind he is a polite, kind, loving and endearing person, but you add violence and he will act like what he is. It's only natural". Toph felt her anger ebbing a bit, Aksavit had provided some clarity, "And just so you know, Toph", Aksavit smiled, "You slapped him and put him in his place. I'm sure that the next time he gets like that, he'll be much more submissive and regard you with some awe or fear, even if he knows why". Toph looked in front of her and let out a sigh, Saturno, a wolf posing as a house pet. Toph thought about their entire relationship as friends, how he saved her so fearlessly at the Serpent's Pass, how sweet he's always been. She felt the anger subsiding, but not the pain of the wound of his offense , "I should go talk to him…tomorrow….if I feel like it".


	13. Traps and Machinations

**Just so you know, this is the chapter that would be the equivalent of "The Guru" ****and "Crossroads of Destiny" ****and is set around Saturno's point of view. You can watch the episode and know what is going on, but obviously I'm just dedicating this to his recovery**** and ****how everything is coming full circle. He's bed ridden so he won't be doing much**** in the first half****. I'm just setting the stage.**** On the second one, it will be set on his particular view of the fall of Ba Sing Se, the gang is away and coming back so he is alone for the moment**

**Traps and Machinations**

Saturno spent around three days bedridden, during which time he was overwhelmingly bored and could only entertain himself by using waterbending to speed up his recovery, sometimes he even dedicating one, two, sometimes three hours a day to simply healing himself. Aksavit forbade him to walk around the infirmary so this and his friends were the only things that kept him busy. The gang came to see him every now and again just to inquire about his health, not to chat with him, gradually though, they were beginning to forgive him. Mostly due to Aksavit's explanation that when you are under darkbending, essentially it makes you euphoric and violent and pretty much brings out the worst in you and that you are capable of doing what Saturno did to a loved one, if not hurt the person, which thankfully he didn't. Aksavit, Saturno noticed wasn't acting like herself, usually she was a very free, and uninhibited spirit, but she was acting more adult like, serious would be the word, she must have had something pressuring her mind, he would have to ask her about it when he got the chance.

Toph was the only one that came to see Saturno often, just to poke his wounds, or to just chat as she was also bored with the city. Saturno welcomed warmly, the fact that she was speaking to him again. But he also noticed painfully, that due to his actions in the Dai Lee headquarters, she and he had some distance between them. She still spent time with him, solely because she still found him to be entertaining and because he was still her friend, she reaffirmed to him. Still he could feel, she wasn't letting herself get too close to him at an emotional level, he struck her hard like no one else ever had, where only he knew it would hurt the most. He was surprised though that she reacted the way she did, he made Toph cry. He felt even worse, he thought that Toph would have just kicked his ass, but she didn't, she didn't even though he gave her every incentive, pushed every nerve in her personality to provoke that, but she didn't. He must mean more to her than he knew, acknowledging this, he almost felt as though he would cry himself. Toph, followed Aksavit's request as to not talking about the matter, if only not to make Saturno feel worse, but truly, it was all **he** could think about, she, very smartly, placed it in the back of her mind, so it wouldn't make her sad, or agitate her. He longed desperately for things to go back to the way they were between them, he was also deathly afraid of her being like this with him permanently.

Saturno was told on the third day, by Toph, that the gang was going off to different places. Aang was going to see a guru to learn how to freely control the Avatar state, Sokka was going to see his dad and help him fight in Chameleon Bay, the Freedom Fighters were going to help Katara in whatever she needed and help plan the invasion. When Toph told Saturno that she was going to meet her mother, an uncomfortable silence fell between them. Saturno, although he had a black relationship with his parents, he was curious about meeting Toph's. The little earthbender had thought a few times in the past about taking Saturno to meet her parents if they ever got the chance. But now, even if it was permitted for him to go about the city, she refrained from inviting him. Half of her wanted to take him, the other half wouldn't allow it. Saturno felt the same way, but decided to not place Toph in an awkward position. "Go see your mother" he said, "Say greetings for me". A little smile came to her face, "He always knows what to say".

Saturno after that, found himself alone. Aksavit had left to explore the city so he decided to meet the king. He was strangely allowed to approach and meet him, the king's bear, named Bosco was a brown bear from Varajo pointed out the king. It was somehow, nice, to see something familiar from home. Both chatted for a long time as to the war, and what were they going to do. By the end of the day, they were all good friends. Not before three Kyoshi Warriors came to guard the king, Saturno greeted them distantly, he, unorthodoxly, stood next to the king while guarding him. These three Kyoshi Warriors seemed nothing like Suki, he didn't trust them. He also didn't like the fact the king told the newcomers about Sozen's Comet so freely.

The day came and went, a coup took place and much to Saturno's shame, he was caught at a bad time. He was not in fighting shape and it hurt just to walk , much more to fight and had to surrender along with Sokka and Toph who figured out that the Kyoshi Warriors who came the day before were actually the three Fire Nation girls who were with Dahlia on the day of the drill attack and were threatening to kill the Earth King. Much to Saturno's dismay, he was placed apart from his friends in another room in a thick glass prison that was completely sealed save for a tiny hole in the floor with two grooves that would let air come from the outside. Saturno cursed loudly, the prison was too thick to smash out of, airbending in it was useless, if he firebended he would burn himself and use up most of the oxygen in the housing and if he earthbended he would just shatter the prison and probably maim himself. He could cut his way out with waterbending but there were three varajans guarding him at all times so even if he used urine or sweat to cut his way out, the guards would see and use the sharp glass pikes that were about the cell walls to cut and hurt and kill him, he was no good at lightbending and he was too weak to darkbend. Gods damn it, using sweat or urine was what he was taught to use if he was ever in a metal prison. But a glass one, this was new and frustratingly difficult to make out an escape. He inspected the prison meticulously, ignoring the guards, who looked at him like a rat trying to figure out a way out of the maze. He could think of ways, but he was too weak to do anything. He cursed his luck. As a little time went by, a dozen soldiers came and lifted the prison and walked away with him inside. Apparently, Toph, Sokka and the king had escaped and were looking for him. He had no idea what Katara and Aang were doing, much less where they were.

Saturno found that he was being taken to an interrogation room inside the palace. Whatever was going to happen next, was surely going to be painful.

Aksavit popped up unexpectedly in the royal palace and was found by Sokka, Toph and the king. She had Bosco with her, Ty Lee and Mai were in bad shape in the royal chambers. Almost immediately Toph and Sokka asked her if she had seen or knew were they might keep Saturno. They asked the king afterwards, he gave them a confused look. He had no idea, in fact he had no idea the palace even had an interrogation room. Aksavit pushed for them to escape, they had no idea where Saturno was and time was fleeting, the Dai Lee were nearby and some powerful wretch called Azula was commanding them. By nightfall they met up with Katara and the Freedom Fighters who were carrying Aang who looked almost dead. While on Appa Katara healed him with water from the Spirit Oasis, Toph couldn't help but feel a certain dread and an icy chill crawl up her spine. The gang was sure Saturno would just pop up from somewhere and leave with them. But he didn't, he was nowhere to be found. Aksavit, as the children argued amongst themselves that they had to rescue him, promptly said "No, we have to leave him behind", "What!?" they all said in unison, deathly afraid for their friend. "We cannot go back there", "He's our friend we have to, there's no telling what they'll do to him" said Sokka in an anguished voice, "Actually there's telling, sure as sure" she said absentmindedly , the group glared at her, "And?" said Jet, Aksavit looked at them as if coming out of a dream, "Oh, yes, well. I came here to aid Dahlia but that was obviously deceit. And meeting up with her before I broke off, they were making a glass prison, presumably for him. It's essentially the perfect cell for Saturno, more so, I was not expecting them to attack us like this, we were caught unaware", "Gee, ya think" said Smellerbee sitting between Longshot and Jet . Aksavit continued to speak without regarding them, "And since Saturno knows about the rally point for the invasion, they will; beat him, torture him and probably kill him after he breaks", the group was silent. "Then, we have to change course" said Katara coldly afraid, "No" interjected Aksavit, "Why?" asked Toph with dread in her voice, "I believe Saturno will not say anything. And since, Sokka told him about the second route he had planned in case of an emergency. We have to take it, it's his only real hope for getting back to us". Toph in the bottom of her gut felt her anger towards Saturno evaporate, she desperately prayed to the spirits that he would be ok.

Saturno sat in the middle, of his little prison, bloodied as the guards used the prison to further weaken him, by cutting him with the spikes. Saturno felt disoriented, but one thought was painfully clear, he was alone. He heard the door open, two girls his age came in, Azula stood to the side of the prison and said "Saturno, you have a visitor" she said with a sweet but sinister voice. Saturno looked up and saw Dahlia, "You've finally caught up with me" said Saturno clearly, "Why not just kill me?", Dahlia glanced in Azula's direction and said "Because she has aided me in capturing you, and I owe her a debt for it", "Truth be told, if you could have caught me you would have. Azula's friends captured me. I saw neither hair nor hide of you during the coup", Dahlia was beginning to become aggravated, "Yes, well you and I are students of Xekavelo; "**The ends always justify the means"**, I have you in my possession and you, will, die" she said coldly. Saturno shrugged, "Not always Dahlia. But tell me Azula, if I was in theory in a talkative mood, what is it in theory that I would be divulging?" he said, looking at Azula. She smirked looking at the wretched boy through the bloodstained glass, "Everything you know about the invasion", he looked away and said "You will know, when you hear it from my dead body". Meaning she wasn't going to get it out of him. "Take him" said Dahlia gesturing the guards to take Saturno with them, he was bound to the docks, on the same ship were Iroh was being held. "It's good to have you with us Dahlia" said Azula admiringly at Dahlia who was cold and ruthless. Azula felt much like Dahlia was the sibling she should have had, rather than stupid Zuko, although he was helpful in the fall of the city. Dahlia looked at her meanly with her dead eyes, "Stupid girl, once you have the information and , the Avatar's life and Saturno dead. I am leaving, I'm not your friend, I'm not your ally and I am **not **with you", Dahlia walked closer to Azula, not an inch from her face and said, "You have no soul, you plot, and steal and lie. If I smell treachery, I will snuff it out". Dahlia walked out of the room without even waiting for Azula's reaction. The Fire Nation princess stood alone in the room for a moment thoughtfully thinking about what she had done, she had allied herself with someone who was as ruthless and brilliant as her, who in fact quoted her without knowing it, two sides of the same coin. And it was someone who she knew to have the same feelings of ambition. Part of the agreement between Azula and Dahlia as to Saturno was that the Fire Nation meaning Azula and her entourage would have Saturno killed, Dahlia was to help Azula with repelling the invasion and killing the Avatar. But on top of that, they had agreed to give the varajans of the Black Wind Kingdom, a part of the Fire Nation to be used as a colony. Azula agreed to this not knowing fully the capabilities of the varajans, but know, darkbending, lightbending, unstoppable soldiers who could bend any element. She was beginning to regret her hastily made decision. The room smelled of blood, Azula remembered the blood was of Saturno.

Saturno, a traitor because he didn't want to obey his country's laws……

He defeated Dahlia before…..

He wants nothing to do with conquest….

He is not kin with Dahlia's conniving mentality………

Azula began her machinations and as to how she could use the boy to her advantage. Perhaps there was something to be gained. She obviously wanted varajans on her side, but she didn't want them in the west. An army of varajans, led by people like Saturno and Dahlia, was easily the end of the Fire Nation; actually it would be the end of the west. A very frightening chill crawled up her spine. She shook it off in private before leaving the room, "I'll think of something" she thought, "I have to…..".

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

**This chapter is really **** dry ****and short, however the next two chapters are not. Please pardon this chapter, I lacked inspiration and decided to just set the mood so to speak. ****Besides,**** Saturno**** was with the Earth King the whole time and had nothing else to do and was in a bad shape so he ****c****ouldn't fight. And to all those who read this story and like it, I apologize for this affront. **


	14. The Ways That She Is

**Loyal readers, new people, flamers all!!! This is where the story begins to take a different spin from TV (It was faithful to the series until now). The fate of Saturno is going to alter the course of the war altogether (tiny spoiler). So let me know how you liked this piece. ENJOY!!!**

**The Ways That She Is**

For three weeks the group waited for Saturno's return as they traveled, every sunrise, every sunset, every time Appa took off. There was no sign of him. The gang placed his plight in the back of their minds seeing as there was no way to help him. Toph though, was unendingly moody and angry. They left everything off in bad terms and in the bottom of her gut, she was beginning to understand how much she meant to him and how much he meant to her. How kind he always was, how she and he began to develop the habit of having him read books to her, she slowly began to appreciate the ways that he is. How a large portion of their interaction is unspoken, how they could enjoy each other's company without saying anything, how he could tell if she was mad, or sad, or happy, how he always knew what to say and how sweet his voice is. She could tell, at least in her perception that Saturno must be very handsome, simply by hearing his voice. It was solid, and confident and soft, and he had a talent for mimicking voices and throwing his own into a myriad of different ones that she found endlessly funny. The thought of them hurting him infuriated and agitated her, she felt so much anxiety about a number of things. From the first day without him, she felt a great amount of anxiety, she knew that it was about him but she didn't know what exactly, but she knew it had something to do with him. Sokka fortunately, filling in for Saturno's bestfriendly duties, always stepped in to console her.

During the travels, the group and the Freedom Fighters had become something of one solid gang. Longshot and Smellerbee were openly dating, on the rare occasions that Longshot spoke to the group they found it mystifying, much like hearing a swan song. Jet and Katara had reconnected on a friendly level, she put down her prejudices of him and gave him another shot "as friends" she emphasized. Much to Aang's dismay, she in turn spent much more time with Jet than with him. What was it that he didn't have that Jet did? Maybe it was a full head of hair? No, maybe it's just that Jet had the bad boy thing going and she still found that attractive. He decided to be the bigger man, at least to his mind, and leave them be. And spend time with Katara when she sought him out. Aksavit eventually warmed up to the group, she turned out to be a replica of King Bumi, an infinitely more attractive King Bumi. She was always the trouble maker and was always making and smelling out mischief. Toph found herself befriending Aksavit quickly, the eccentric Soldadus knew everything there was to know about Saturno, and Toph found herself having an endless amount of questions about him. For someone she had as a best friend, all she really knew about him was a bit about his family history and his sisters. She knew nothing more. What did he like, dislike, his hobbies and what he likes in a girl among other things. She found the nerve to ask these things because Aksavit was always so casual about it, she never teased her and never asked any questions. Asking what Saturno liked in a girl was unnerving enough and fruitless enough, Aksavit simply answered "You, is what he likes in a girl. Sure as sure". But there was one thing Aksavit did ask, or more commented really, "Why do you want to know so much about our beloved varajan? We have no guarantees he is still alive". Toph remained silent and shot her an aggravated look, "He **is** coming back" she reaffirmed to herself, Saturno had changed her without her knowing, she wasn't acting like strong, independent, doesn't care what others think of her Toph anymore. She was still strong and fiercely independent, and brutally honest and viciously sarcastic, but now, she was kinder and gentler in some ways. By what Saturno said to her in the Dai Lee headquarters, she started to come out of her shell so to speak, not to fly off the handle as much, not to be so self-conscious about not being self-conscious, and she began to let other people in, just a little.

She found Sokka to be a great help also. From the first day she met him she had a little crush on him, that was consequently eclipsed by Saturno's arrival and friendship. These feelings with Sokka mixed with the ones that were tied to Saturno and obviously made her even more confused. Sokka really is a wonderful guy, he's goofy, brilliant, at least when he would put his mind to good use and he was a great companion. Saturno goes without saying. She found herself hating these feelings, both for Saturno and Sokka. Sokka had always been there for her when Saturno was removed. He took her out to dance at Aang's dance party, he worked her into the beat of the music, and she was obviously very stiff and unsure as to how to dance. She also warned him coldly; "If you step on my feet once, you're dead", they had a lot of fun. He also sat with her and tried to read her a book that Saturno left behind. She rejected the offer instantly, reading, was strictly Saturno's privilege. Sokka and Saturno, both were her best friends and she had weird feelings for both, although she would never admit it and kept all of these bottled up inside her. Why does love have to be so stupid and confusing and complicated and wonderful? Uh, dumb, not wonderful, dumb.

Having feelings is complicated. Toph couldn't help but feel bad, she always had a little crush on Sokka, but she was also developing one for Saturno, even if she didn't quiet phrase it like that in her mind. She felt like at times she was betraying Saturno for spending so much time with Sokka, and gradually beginning to like him more. "I hate this crap" she mumbled to herself.

Over three weeks passed and there was no sign of him. Toph was always expectant that he would come back. They passed their time by gradually making their way through the emergency route. After the dance party they ended up in a starving village and Katara pretended to be their protective spirit a "Painted Lady", in the next village Sokka learned how to wield a sword from a sword master. He was feeling left out of the group, as everyone had a special gift. But in the Freedom Fighter's cases, they were all accomplished fighters, especially Smellerbee who was a vicious combatant with a dagger and in hand to hand combat. Throughout the whole trip, Jet was edgy being in the Fire Nation, but he remained well behaved, often flirting with Katara. Whenever anyone pointed it out she would yell "We're just friends!". Aang was not as sure. Sokka spent two more weeks with the master and became a very good combatant. He found that when he came back, Toph was in bad shape. She was still missing Saturno and the fact that neither he nor Saturno were around made her feel worse. When he came back she embraced him quickly and was also quick to let go, "They missed you, I didn't care" she said to him, finding she was blushing a little. Damn it, liking two guys was confusing, and sad. The more she liked Sokka, the more she felt like she was turning her back on Saturno. And she cared for both deeply. Sorting out her feelings was an exhausting task, especially for a twelve year old, no matter how much older she was beyond her years.

Sokka took her away from the group the same afternoon he came back and decided to talk to her on what was the matter.

Both sat on a large stone overlooking the valley, there was an uncomfortable silence between them. Nothing like the silence that was enjoyed by Saturno and she. Damn it she missed him, she acknowledged. Sokka looked at the petite figure sit quietly, she was probably anguished about Saturno he concluded. "No sign yet huh?" he said breaking the ice, she nodded silently. "I'm sure he'll be ok, this is Saturno you know, when he sees you again he's going to be ecstatic. Be sure to give him a big hug and kiss, he'll be overjoyed, sure as sure" he said nudging her with the same sunny disposition and tone as Aksavit. She felt the corners of her mouth twitch, she felt better, and Sokka was as always being a great help. Sokka, the thought of him involuntarily popped into her mind, when she hugged him, he smelled so good. Just like Saturno. They both had their own particular smells, Sokka smelt always of something of sea salt and clean water. It was a musky but sweet smell. Saturno on the other hand smelt of something that she had never smelt before. She could pick it up from when he was sweaty and when he was bending, be it water, dark, air or whatever. She didn't know it at the time, but what she was smelling was his varajan equivalent of chi, the energy that exhumed from his body. The varajans called it magick. Whatever it was, it was a pleasant and wonderful smell. And better yet Saturno always reeked of it, Toph unconsciously could tell where he had been simply by sniffing for magick, she always had, a very keen sense of smell. She figured out the hard way that he had his own particular scent of magick, Toph was a little freaked out the first time she caught it again, this was when Aksavit decided to spar with Jet, she was sweaty and had her magick smell about her. Toph got excited thinking that Saturno was back, only to notice that it wasn't him, his smell was for lack of a better word, palpable. Aksavit's was strange in the sense that it was unmistakably sharp. It cleared everyone's noses, much like the spice that was served with sushi called wasabi. Toph figured this out firsthand, coughing as she took a little too much of the smell all at once.

"Toph?" asked Sokka seeing as his friend sort of went into her tunnel in a chain of thought. "Yeah?" she asked being pulled out of her daydream a little embarrassed that she was daydreaming about such things and that Sokka whom she was just thinking about how he smelled was sitting just next to her. "Listen, I've been wondering. You have been starting to act up a lot", Toph feigned innocence and instantly knew what he was getting at, "How?", Sokka remained quiet, tentatively picking his words. "Toph, don't get me wrong, I love the fact that we're friends, I really do. But, you've been acting, weird", Toph cursed inwardly, he was hitting right on the nail's head, "How so?" she asked continuing the ruse. Sokka sighed and decided that there really was no way to say what he wanted to say without saying it. "You've been acting around me like you act around Saturno", Toph shrugged, "Toph, I…I like Su-" and before he could say anything Toph placed her hand on his mouth to shut him up. Deep inside, she knew this was coming, Sokka was dead set on Suki and it always annoyed her. She cared deeply for Sokka and Saturno. The two men in her life so to speak, Sokka was from the Water Tribes and knew the customs of the west. He had gone through a lot, but he had his own appeal, an appeal of the familiar, someone like her, someone of their own flock. Saturno as a person also had his own appeal, but he was strange and foreign to her, and everyone for that matter. She felt as though the door for Sokka was closing shut, if it was ever open to begin with. She didn't want to hear it. "I like Suki, not you. You're too young, small, blind. She's strong, smart, pretty and can see". She still being the proud girl she was, she restrained herself from letting two tears flow down her cheeks, she knew and finally had to accept that Sokka was rejecting her. She decided to say nothing more and let him sit just next to her, she loved him and her varajan. She didn't want to lose Sokka's friendship, but she would have to let go and get over him.

The pair sat quietly for a moment as she absorbed the new information. She was the first to speak deciding it was getting late and she was going to go to bed. It wasn't even sunset yet.

That night, Toph was sleeping fitfully. At a moment she felt someone coming, it felt like the person was made of metal, damnation, she was so distracted with her own thoughts that she hadn't noticed the person before. "Guys there's someone coming!!" she yelled almost bursting out of her earth tent, "Wa..who..what?" said Sokka popping out of bed, his drowsiness instantly evaporating. The group was getting out of bed as a man came to the ridge, a sharp breath, then a void of sound then the crackle of a strange beam of light came from his face. Aang instantly stepped in and blocked as much as he could with an air blast, but most of the group was blown back from the great explosion. Toph however was in a bad mood and saw the attacker as a good target to get off at. She almost slammed her feet into the group clawing against the push of the explosion, as she regained balance she unfurled her curled arms resting on her waist and made a succession of signs and the earth in front of her shattered and charged to the man in spires and blocks. The man blew up this attack and made another in succession, this time Aang stepped in and blocked it as Toph dived out of the way of the shining ray of compressed fire. The group ran and hid behind a large stone formation trying to figure out a battle plan for an instant. Longshot spoke to them as they suggested that Longshot should take him out, he was out of range and even when he shot an arrow from a closer range the man picked it out of the sky. There were a few more bursts of light and fire after them, then the group decided it was best just to tuck tail and run. Appa however was missing, they looked around but not peering from out of their shelter. Then they heard thunder clap, and blue light with it. They heard another blast, but it was not directed at them more at the sky. They could see Appa flying and another stream of lightning seemingly coming from his head. "What's going on?" asked Toph, sensing the strikes of lightning but not being able to see where they were coming from, "Appa can cast lightning!?" said the whole group in unison, mouths gaping open. Then Appa made a dive and a cloud of dust hit the ground, Toph could see there was someone there, but the group could not, the ground split and broke and the assassin fell into a hole created by the marauder. Appa then made another dive and the person jumped onto Appa, only visible by the contrast of the void black clothing with Appa's white coat of fur. Aang was about to try and run after Appa only to be stopped as Appa came to them. Appa landed and they all got on without saying a word. As Toph got on she caught a familiar scent, magick, Saturno's magick. The stranger who was steering Appa paid them no mind, as the gang strained to look at him. In the moonlight they could barely see him with his raven black clothing; it was simply easier to see the stranger's silhouette against the starry sky. Before anyone could ask any questions, Toph smelled deeper the scent of the stranger that was blowing to her. "Saturno?" she asked, the whole group looked at her surprised and then looked at the stranger, who looked back at them and smiled a smile with his head tilted to the side. Through dry, chapped and cut up lips with white teeth, Saturno said, "It is so good to see you again" he said gazing at Toph, his eyes shining in ivory light of the moon, much like Aksavit's, through the black veil he wore over most of his face, just over his mouth. Then group noticed the figure seemed gaunt and skinny, and that the front of his face was flat. Not to mention, Saturno seemed a lot more collected and cool, even if he had just been out of a fight. The gang had a myriad of questions, that they had no idea how to ask. Saturno seemed older somehow in his demeanor, whatever had happened to him had surely changed the boy. Aang took the reins as Saturno plopped back onto the saddle and remained a bit distant from them, Toph almost bolted to him almost tackling him to the floor of the saddle in a crushing platypusbear hug. At this point she didn't care what anyone would say or think, damn the consequences, she found herself almost sobbing as she held him, she also noticed that he was silently crying. The two of them were relieved to see each other safe and sound, Toph thanked the spirits that he was ok, or at least seemed to be.

**Finally!!! Together again, any reviews or chatty bits; I invite you to post them on reviews. FYI if you wanna read some more Satoph check out; 101 Reasons Why I Love You**


	15. Like a Ghost

**Hello everybody!!! This particular chapter is set at the same time chapter 14 is happening. But is set entirely around how Saturno was tortured and what came afterwards.**** FYI it's rated M for gory details of his torture. **

**Like a Ghost**

Three weeks had passed since Saturno was taken from the Earth Kingdom. Saturno was sent to and kept in an army camp deep in the Fire Nation. He felt terrible when Iroh was sent to the capital's prison. He now had no one to lean on, or talk to, or to even be with. Iroh gave him one piece of advice "Saturno, you must keep your mind calm and think of what you love the most if you want to survive what is coming" he told Saturno before he was taken away. For the most part Saturno had been starved somewhat as to keep him weak from starvation so he couldn't bend. Periodically he had been taken out of the prison and was cut, beaten and lashed. It was about to be time soon, time for him to escape providing that Azula kept her word. He sat in the glass cell quietly, contemplating what he had gone through for the past few weeks. He grimaced at all the pain he went through in order to survive. The worst began after the first three days.

"Tell me the whereabouts of the Avatar" asked Dahlia coldly, Saturno sat on a chair in the middle of the room, bloodied and bruised, he just looked up at her and said, clear as day, "Go sleep with a dog, varajan whore". She puckered her lips and looked back at the small tray one of her adjutants was holding, she looked at it like a doted little girl would look at an array of different candies. "Strange of you Saturno, I've never known you to curse. Especially not at women" she said shooting him a seductive look, he held Toph in her mind the whole time he was being tortured. Sometimes he could detach himself entirely and not scream. The mere thought of Toph lessened the pain. He spat at Dahlia as she looked at him, she dropped her instrument while holding her gaze and plucked up another. "I'll have to remedy your attitude" she said coming closer, Saturno took a deep breath recognizing the instrument's function. Dahlia gestured another guard to hold out Saturno's hand as she grasped his relaxed fingers, Saturno knew that if he resisted this particular torture, they would make it worse, he for one wanted to get out and be able to bend again. Saturno felt the sickening grip of fear in his gut, this room stank of his blood. He remembered Iroh's voice, "What you love the most". Saturno's fear evaporated as the image of Toph came into his mind, he thought about the time they went out for breakfast, she really liked the brooch he made for her, "I wonder if she still wears it" he silently thought. Dahlia slowly slipped the small blade in between Saturno's nail and the tender flesh underneath, an antitesis to his big, strong, calloused hands. Slowly, for Saturno, mere tenderness under his nails, slinked into pain, then searing pain as Dahlia slowly pulled out his nail. On purpose she wiggled it loose, then slowly pulled it out. Several tears slipped from his red eyes, but he did not make a sound, except , low gasps and sharp, shallow breaths as he controlled the overwhelming pain. "C'mon varajan don't be shy. Read me your sissy, mushy poetry Saturno" Toph said to him once, expecting it to be funny, she was surprised at how eloquently he wrote it. Although it was somewhat depressing at first, both acknowledged this, she politely listened. He remembered the poem and began to recite it in his head:

_**Cold be Heart and Mind and Soul**_

_**Cold be Us who are far from Home**_

A sickening crack came from the root of his index finger as Dahlia tugged it loose.

_**Many of **__**Us**__** have lost Our way**_

A squirt of blood shot from his finger as the blood vessels were severed as Dahlia pulled out the nail.

_**And remain lost even to this day**_

_**I came to the West to be free of War**_

_**In a land I thought existed only in Lore**_

Dahlia slinked the knife under his middle finger much like she would slink it into an oyster, in order to pry it open .

_**I was **__**Found**__** on the shore of the Earth Kingdom's lands**_

_**Wrapped in an Embrace of Breeze and Sands**_

Pain once again flashed into his hand and arm as her knife maliciously dug into his flesh, tapping the bone of his fingers.

_**I Joined a gang of children from these diverse Lands**_

A lower pitched crack came from his fingers as the root was being slowly and agonizingly broken.

_**To aid them in saving their world as the Avatar's duty properly Demands**_

A nauseatingly new pain came into Saturno's hand as Dahlia spitefully dug in her thin knife further into his finger than his root.

_**My friends are diverse as they are Strange**_

_**Just **__**like the **__**Spinarak**__** S**__**piders from the **__**Astartos**__** Mountain range**_

Another unnerving crack came from his fingers as Dahlia sliced the nail clean off.

_**First is Katara**__** who is Motherly and Kind**_

_**She keeps **__**Us**__** together when our Harmony does not Rhyme.**_

Dahlia gestured another guard to help her. Both of them dug in their knives into Saturno's pinky and wedding ring finger. A miniscule flow of blood snaked its way down Saturno's fingertips and onto the table.

_**Second is Sokka a jester and brave**_

_**Sarcasm is his tongue and **__**meat**__** is something he craves.**_

The wedding finger root came off first, accompanied by a squirt of crimson.

_**Third is Aang, the Avatar who Conflicts into Peace he Molds**_

_**Such is his Duty to bring Balance into their Worlds**_

The root of his pinky came off with a satisfying crack. Dahlia gestured the guard to bring her the pliers. She grasped onto Saturno's thumb nail and began to pull slowly, not letting a centimeter lose grip.

_**Four and Last is Toph, Beautiful like the Orchids that I've seen Grown in roes.**_

The skin on Saturno's thumb began to stretch and tear, blood seeping out of the thin crimson streaks that adorned the thumb.

_**Strong and hard she is, much like the stones she controls.**_

The root began to tear.

_**But I know her better than **__**most**____** I know that inside her, **__**Soft and tender must be some part.**_

The root dangled by a thread of screaming nerves and blood vessels ready to give in.

_**Of Her Beautiful young Heart.**_

When Toph heard the last of the poem, she was slightly bashful, but by now she was used to Saturno's way of being, "Nice one" she said as she playfully jabbed his arm. She liked this poem he remembered.

The skin and root audibly tore, and Dahlia set the thumb nail on the table. She looked at Saturno with a vexed look on her face, Saturno had a serene and blank look on his face. Save for the tears of pain that flowed down his cheeks. He said nothing, looked at no one. He was in his own world. Dahlia puckered her lips pondering what to do next, "While we're at it, we should do your other hands and feet as well" she said plucking up her knife and grasping his other hand. Although Saturno was in his head, he was listening, "I will just have to recite three more times eh?" he thought, silently slipping back into his head.

By the time they were done, Saturno hadn't made a sound, as they were done with each part, he became progressively quieter. Dahlia after finishing, left disgruntled and cheated. Saturno said nothing and didn't even struggle. She had never seen this kind of mental fortitude in her life. She felt like she didn't really know Saturno anymore, as she remembered him, he would have been screaming his guts out. But he was quiet as a corpse. She wondered if it would not be better just to kill him and wait for the invasion. No, Azula had taken to demanding they make him talk, she wanted him alive until he spoke. Fine by Dahlia, Saturno wasn't going anywhere in the state he was in, "Maybe darkbending finally broke his mind like it's so broken countless others" she thought.

That was the first of two great evils he suffered at Dahlia's hands.

Saturno sat waiting for Azula, it was getting late. Through the small window she could see the sun was setting. She'd better hurry up, for his sake. He remembered how Azula came to him in the first place.

He sat in the cold dark of his room and cell, the soft glow of two torches danced about. And two varajan guards stood silently, dutifully watching him. A knock came on the door, Azula was let in with Dahlia. The princess took and chair and set it in front of the glass prison. Dahlia gestured the guards to leave and they did so. They were alone. The cool night breeze whispered as it came in from the barred window. Saturno sat up painfully as he clenched both of his nail-less hands and looked at her emptily, he said nothing. Azula tapped her pointy boot on the floor carefully choosing her words, she would prefer it if he opened up the negotiations. Subconsciously if someone does, they place themselves on the line as the ones who need something. The varajan wasn't budging. Azula sighed and said "Saturno, I need your help", the varajan listened attentively but said nothing, she returned his same stare and continued. "Saturno, over the past few weeks I've come to realize that striking a deal with Dahlia was a mistake", "And? You'll never get me to speak by simply chatting with me", "Because the Avatar is still alive?" she said trying to sniff out any lies, "Aang is dead?" asked Saturno with some life in his eyes, then sadness. Azula noticed how genuine his reaction was, he was apart from his group so long he probably didn't know anything, save for the invasion plan. And he was apart from them in the coup to start with so this query about the Avatar was going to be fruitless. Now, a token of good faith was something that seemed appealing to her. Something to gain his trust, if not relax him, no, she knowing now the ways Saturno is she was not going to gain his trust. "The Avatar is alive, I'm pretty sure of that", Saturno instantly became distrustful, however Azula's earlier part of the bargain was sincere. "What do you want?" he asked her in his cruel voice that he unconsciously adopted, "I want you to kill Dahlia and stop your countrymen; in the bargain between her and myself we promised to give her a small village as a colony. I hadn't expected the varajans to be this powerful, honestly I just thought it was handy to have someone like her help me to make my ends meet. I had the ship carrying the news and terms of the bargain destroyed but that won't stop her from trying to take her prize. Or sending out varajan ships for reinforcements", Saturno grinned, "Your demands are steep, I'll assume that you have something equally valuable to give in return because seeing as things are, I will die here, I have no incentives, desire or the ability to help you", "And what could I do to remedy that?" she asked him. All in all they agreed on a plan, neither of them wanted Dahlia or a varajan invasion. So by Saturno's instructions, Azula switched his diet discreetly so he could gain strength. In the loaf of bread he was given there would be other food inside that he would not even take out of it in the first place. He would just eat the whole damn thing, in the flask of water Azula was to have a myriad of seeds placed in it. Flax, Thornvine and Vera seeds all had medicinal properties and these would help him avoid infection and give him a good amount of energy. As soon as Saturno was well enough Azula would visit him late at night to talk to him some more, only to become frustrated and decide that it wasn't worth it. She would inform the guards that she was going to take him to be executed. The guards due to the late shift would think more or less "finally" and go to bed. The reason the pair thought they would react like this is because she was going to make the habit of visiting and asking him about the Avatar, under the guise she was trying to "gain his trust". However if they didn't react this way, Azula would quietly kill them both and help spirit him away from the camp under the guise of him being her bodyguard.

The board was set, all that was needed; was for Saturno to get better so he could escape.

In a week the plan was about to be placed into motion. But not before Dahlia decided to extract her "pound of flesh" so to speak. She walked into the room after Saturno was manhandled and was tied to a chair and held down by two men. He was still weak but he could feel he was steadily getting better. Dahlia walked in wearing a red soldier's dress, commonly found amongst soldiers in Varajo. He attire looked much like what Azula was wearing in Ba Sing Se but with a longer skirt and in featureless crimson. She slowly walked to him, and came to eyelevel with him, she made him a "Well?" gesture. He didn't bother to even regard her. She sighed and pulled out a knife, she placed it next to the base of Saturno's nose. He placed the thought of Toph aside for a moment and looked at her coming out of his mind. Dahlia was no longer hurting him, she was going to scar him, in varajan culture receiving a scar was something that stayed with you for the rest of your life, either as a lesson, a memory or as a reminder for revenge. "I don't know you anymore" he said quietly. She nodded her head a little nostalgically, he could see it in her eyes, and the sudden change as her eyes became alert, probably from remembering her duty. She and he shared a connection much like Toph's, they could say things without saying anything. What her eyes told him was, "I'll be quick", Saturno regretted having been out of his mind, she was going to take advantage of the opportunity he was out of it. In an instant she grabbed onto his nose and sliced it clean off at the bone. Saturno screamed to the top of his lungs. Blood invaded his nasal passage ways and his mouth. As he screamed again he found himself coughing the blood out. He took deep breaths from hyperventilation and blew out his nose without being able to touch it. Splatters of blood flicked at the floor. Even though it lasted barely a second, Saturno felt everything in detail. The slice of the skin, the incommodity of the flesh of his nose being cut away, the feel of the cartilage and flesh, screaming as it was torn off. How the same nerves went silent as the flesh was flensed clean off. The searing pain that came afterwards.

Saturno fingered gently the place where his nose used to be, he grimaced at the thought of how it was done, how violated one feels when someone takes something so personal, as a piece of your own body, away from you. Now, his nose, just two vertical slits covered in scabs. He heard a knock on the door. It was time. He had two weeks of recovery time. He and Azula, **had **to make this work.

The plan went without a hitch. Azula escorted him about a mile out of the camp without any witnesses. She couldn't risk Dahlia later on interrogating any common soldier that just happened to see them leaving.

Azula gave him some clothing similar to hers, down to the pointy boots customary of the Fire Nation, but in void black. Saturno had only his torn pants. He took the clothing and undressed right in front of her, not minding or even acknowledging her presence. She looked at the naked boy her age with a loss for words, she had never seen a naked man before. She was too busy planning a war to even talk with boys. But his figure didn't distract her or make her hold her gaze. It was the manner he was getting dressed, and the way he was acting. His eyes were dead, more so than usual, he was cold, expressionless. He seemed like a ghost or a corpse, rather than a human being. As he finished dressing she handed him a hood and veil. "A gift of good will" she said. He put them on, they just made his figure look even more ghostly. He took in a deep breath and looked at her, his eyes shining in the moonlight, much like a wolflion's , "If you follow me, I will kill you, if you send anyone to follow me I will kill them" he said in his cruel, unnerving voice. Azula remained collected and said, "I had nothing of the sort planned". She was being truthful, Saturno scoffed, "I cannot trust that". The pair remained silent. Azula felt a connection to him, as he felt one to her. They were enemies, turned allies for the moment. Neither of them had ever had an experience like this before. Azula felt a little weird, she still had some child left in her to still feel such things. "Even if it is a one sided offer" said Saturno, "If we ever capture you. You will be treated well" he said, Azula noticed some hint of warmth returning to his eyes. She said and did nothing, but internally she also said the same, she would have them treat him well. Someone like Saturno deserved it. "I should get back" she said mounting her beast, similar to the steeds of the Rough Rhinos, "Are you sure you don't want one?" she said gesturing the second creature, he nodded his head in a "no". "I'll be easier to notice, I will travel on foot" he said as she handed him some food and water for the trip. "Do not delay in getting back. Dahlia has irregular sleeping hours. Farewell", he said, walking away. Azula looked at the camp for a moment, then looked back to Saturno, "What was-". He was gone. Azula rethought her question, she was going to ask him what was it he was thinking about all throughout the torture. What was it that he did that allowed him to survive with some lucidity. She shrugged and marched off on top of her beast. She was sure she was going to find out eventually.

**Nice chapter eh. It was gory but that's varajan for ****ya****. The next chapter will come in the following two to one days not to worry. And if it doesn't, well, Dahlia and Azula will have my ass on a plate, so that is a good guarantee.**


	16. Who We Are

**This chapter is the equivalent of "The Beach" and "The Avatar and t****he Fire Lord". This chapter ****is ****set**** mostly on Saturno and Toph**** and has a lot of mushy gushy love in it****. Let me know what you think.**** Rated MG for mushy gushy love. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!**

**Who We Are**

Saturno was exhausted after the night he finally managed to get back to the group. As they escaped, strangely enough, everyone was quiet. They were all overjoyed and relieved to have him back, but the fact he fell right asleep after they took off merited they leave him alone for a while. Toph sat next to her sleeping friend, she was not sure what to do. Should she just outright ask him what he went through, or what he feels. Nah, for tonight leaving him be was the course, sort of. When they landed Saturno was woken momentarily as he repositioned himself on a comfortable spot amongst the giant roots of the ruins they reached. Upon reaching a suitable spot, he fell right asleep. The gang spoke amongst themselves in hushed tones as to what happened. Everyone expected him to be a lot more talkative, he was happy to be back, there was no doubt, but after five weeks. He didn't seem like himself anymore. They would pose their questions in the morning.

Toph couldn't sleep too well. In the dark of her earth tent, she was moving around trying to find a comfortable position but nothing felt right. Saturno, Saturno, Saturno, that was all that she could think of. Not in a romantic fashion, but in a worried context. Through their unspoken bonds of communication, she could tell something was wrong with him. When she held him as they were reunited, she could feel his innermost through pressing his chest against hers. It was something she couldn't put into words, Saturno's heart; it always beats with warmth, and strength. But when she felt it, it beat coldly and resentfully. Like a wound.

"They did something to him" she whispered inside her stone walls. Toph painfully remembered what Aksavit had said so casually, almost as if it was expected; "They will torture him". She kept on shifting around until she couldn't place her thoughts in the back of her mind anymore. They would always come crashing back, urging her to do something, anything. Just something to check up on him and make sure he was well. She made an opening gesture, the stone whispered as it split, allowing it's petite master passage through the tent. She got out slowly not wanting to make any noise to wake the others, she tip toed by Jet, then Sokka and Katara then by Longshot who had Smellerbee snuggled into the embrace of his arm. She sighed silently at the tenderness between the two Freedom Fighters. They were so open about their relationship, she daydreamed a few times of being held like that by either Sokka or Saturno. She shrugged off the gentle envy and walked over to where Saturno was sleeping. He was in the roots of the tree, barely visible with his opaque clothing. "Hi, Saturno, I just wanted to-" she whispered trying to hear how it might sound to him, "No, no that's stupid, this is serious", she thought for a moment that even though it was dark, maybe he'd like it if she placed some effort into her appearance, he always told her she had a very pretty face and that she shouldn't hide it. She ran her hands through her hair as she loosened her bun and tucked her bangs of hair under the band as she readjusted it. "That's enough" she thought, "Saturno, are you ok?", her arms slumped, "Duh, of course he's not", she made a slight grunt. She wasn't good at this tender kind of talk. She was direct and to the point, she scratched her head and whispered "To Saturno this kind of stuff comes naturally. What would he say?". She got an idea, "Listen Toph, I…I really thought a lot about you when you were gone, I just-", and much to her horror Saturno spoke out from the entangled roots, "I don't suppose you were struck with dementia and lost the perception of your identity while I was gone. Then I'd have to pray to the Goddess of Dark and Madness to remove her blessing" he said as he emerged from the small sanctuary, he sleepily rubbed his eyes as he sat up in front of her. Toph was stiff and enormously embarrassed, she had no idea what to say. But he did. He could sense her feelings even though she held a straight face. He gently reached and grabbed her little, smooth, but powerful and calloused hands and said, "Do you want to walk with me?". She nodded in a "yes" and both walked up the ruins. "You look very pretty" he said, Toph smiled.

Katara woke up hearing the light footsteps of the pair, Sokka also woke feeling his sister move. Katara's eyes instantly locked onto the varajan and the earthbender but when she took the breath to call out to them Sokka placed his hand on her shoulder. He swayed his head in a "no", "They need this, leave them alone" he whispered as he snuggled back into his sleeping bag, which was back to back with Katara. She sighed and watched them walk off. She really wanted to talk to Saturno too, she had never gotten to talking to him while in Ba Sing Se like she said she would. She had forgotten for a moment that Toph was above her in the pecking order when it came to him. Sokka was right, "leave them be".

They walked for a moment then stopped as Saturno plopped down on a stone and sat looking at the moon, it was almost full. He always felt a connection to the celestial orb, hell, the lunar sphere had a great deal to do with darkbending. He patted the stone ground next to him, she sat and searched for the way to start off this, obviously, awkward conversation. The silence that prevailed between them was soothing somehow, spirits she had missed this. His quiet understanding, which was a strange contrast, as Saturno was by nature a very talkative boy, and this only became apparent once he came to the West so pointed out Aksavit. As Toph thought of a way to start, she was surprised when he inched closer to her. Their thighs were touching and he put his arm around her. She had no idea how to react, but this, this gentle, familiar warmth, she kind of liked it. She acknowledged that with anyone else, she would react as she usually did when someone was getting a little too touchy, bend rocks at them. Save with Sokka and her varajan, she would never let anyone touch her like this. Saturno, more than Sokka in this case, the varajan was unique. He had made her an emerald brooch which she felt around for, double checking if she still had it with her; it was pinned in the underside of her sash. She didn't have the heart to wear it when he was still missing. He made countless little gestures that she appreciated endlessly and privately. Warm, kind little gestures, he always opened the door for her, he would always stand when she left the table, he would always follow her places if he felt it wasn't safe, even if at first it bugged her and she told him off because she can take care of herself. Accepting these kind, warm, and sometimes amorous gestures became second nature to her.

She felt a little weird when he rested the side of his head against hers and gently but also briefly, smelled her hair. "You know what you smell like, Toph?", "What?", "Clean earth and the dew that is on the grass before dawn", Toph blushed a little, her heart was pounding like a deep drum. She, sought to break her nervousness the only way she knew how; making a jest. "You know what you smell like Saturno?", "What?", "Appa, after a bath. But not in a good way, kind of like wet bison", he smiled silently but couldn't come to laughing. She felt he liked the joke, but he wasn't happy. She rested her head on his arm and inhaled a deep breath through her nose, "I don't know what you smell like. But I really like it" she said, allowing her guard to slip and letting herself be knee deep in the intimacy of the moment. "Its magick", "Magick?", "Yes, it is the spiritual energy that flows in all things. But strangely enough, none of you smell of it like I though you would", "How's that?", "Well, Katara smells like flowers, and something else, perhaps of her mother. You smell like earth but I suppose that is just in you nature", Toph smiled just as he did, "Aang smells of, well, Aang. Sokka smells like sea salt and….clean water. Our friends the Freedom Fighters smell like they haven't bathed in a while". Toph couldn't help but let out a light laugh, he was right, the Freedom Fighters hadn't bathed in three days, something about a standing bet. The petite earthbender felt at complete peace, she acknowledged happily that Saturno and she must have a great amount of trust from both sides to openly be like this with each other, much more so to smell each other. Saturno had that effect on her; natural intimacy. She also noticed that she had this effect on him too probably; with any other people he would always be the perfect, proper gentleman. With each other, they were a lot more trusting and caring. She silently sat next to him, wrapped in his tone arm. She wondered if Saturno liked her, but really likes, likes not just as a really, **really **close friend. Then Saturno said something she would never forget, he rubbed her cheek with his right hand, which was connected to the arm he had wrapped around her. She felt a chill quickly shoot up her spine, her heart was beating hard and fast, spirits, its like her heart was in her throat. He leaned over and stole a tender kiss on her cheek, and then whispered into her ear, with the sweetest , most tender tone she had ever heard him speak in say;

"I love you"

Toph's body tensed, **this **was unexpected and too intense for the moment. She had no idea how to react, he shrugged silently, she wished sometimes that Saturno would feel about her like that, she got her wish. She could feel he was looking at her, she was too nervous to speak coherently, and he could tell, he wasn't sure what to say either. That's a first. Saturno removed his arm from around her and sighed regretfully. "I apologize, I should not have said that", "It's ok" Toph blurted out, Saturno didn't look directly at her, he said "But I do mean it. I love you dearly". Toph blushed intensely just like he was. Toph's nervousness eased up a bit, she could feel Saturno was feeling just as vulnerable as she was, they were both in weird positions. Saturno felt Toph was struggling in her mind, unsure as to what to do, he began to panic in his head. "Toph, I regret having placed you in this position. I had no right…..please….can we still be friends?" he said as sweetly as he could. He felt stupid, having shared the feelings he felt during his torture with the object of his affection. He was terrified that this might kill off their relationship, or mutilate it beyond recognition, alienating her from him.

The earthbender felt a tender feeling. Saturno who was always so refined and sure, was panicking. Toph asked herself a few questions in her head silently; was she old enough to be feeling these things? What did she feel? Was it ok?

"I've overstepped my bounds" said Saturno inching away from her, Toph felt herself being pulled out of her thoughts by the varajan's actions. "No, no, I just….I", she quieted up, she wanted to find the right words. "I like you Saturno, I really, really like you. It's just…I'm not sure about anything" she quieted up again, "I don't know if I'm old enough. I'm twelve, you're sixteen and I just….I don't understand why you chose me over anyone else. I'm not sure about what I feel, I, I don't know if it's love or a crush" she noticed, she was finally out with it. She acknowledged there was a possibility that she loved him. "I guess I'm just a little freaked out" she said quietly, Saturno tilted his head to the side and looked her over, examining her expression, analyzing the silence. "So you are just frightened?" he asked innocently, Toph wouldn't have used the word "frightened" but it was accurate. "Yeah" she said, slumping her shoulders. Saturno felt and knew what she was feeling, he had felt it before after all.

The uncertainty of one's feelings towards another, however strong they might be, the lack of understanding due to the inexperience of youth. The restraint of one not letting themselves give into the feelings, but not rejecting them; that strange middle point in which one does not let them guide you, by fear of rejection or of mistaken feelings. But one enjoys having them. That is what Saturno felt once, the overwhelming joy of being in love like he was now, but also the tremendous pain of having his heart broken; once he tried to win another girl's heart and failed miserably. This, he concluded, was probably what Toph was also feeling, this uncertainty. From experience Saturno knew, and was sure of what he was feeling. But obviously, he also understood that Toph was not sure, she had never felt like this and she was much younger than him, so he did what he thought to be the best course of action: wait for her.

Saturno stood up and took a deep breath and pulled from the recesses of his mind, the right words for what he wanted to say. "Toph, whatever you decide…I will wait for you as long as you need. I would do anything for you if only you would ask. I ask in turn, only one thing in return" he said as she sat quietly, at a complete loss for a sarcastic crack, or jest or remark. Her current situation felt like she was in the story of Oma and Shu. "I want you to sort through your feelings. It's unfair to ask this of you, to look for an answer for this monumental question at your age but…I….feel as though sometimes you feel the same way about me that I do about you", he gazed at her, her eyes were wide open with the influx of what had just happened between them. "That's all, I don't know what else to say, other than I will wait for you as long as you need" he said. Toph couldn't help it, but the butterflies inside her were making her feel; joyous, she did what she knew she could do for him. She stood up and walked over to him and hugged him fully but gently, by instinct she was certain of what she was doing; her feelings were slowly becoming clearer. Saturno was beginning to see, the intimate side of Toph, she seemed like a different person, bashful and sweet.

Through their unspoken communication, they both let go without saying anything. Saturno knew what she wanted, he hesitantly pulled off his veil and stood still. She inched to him and reached up to feel his face, something she remembered she had only done with her mother and father. As she almost made contact with his face she made a short pause as if asking for permission. He said nothing.

His pale skin was smooth but rough, she could feel the coarseness of skin after shaving. The rough skin tissue of the new and numerous scars that adorned his face and his soft lips. The one large scar that ran from his upper right eyebrow, down to the site of his former nose and down his lip to the lower left jaw line, all in a diagonal line. He stuttered when she touched his nose, he could tell she was surprised he had nothing there. She ran her hands through his hair which had been left alone throughout the torture. It was soft and just shy of being long enough to tie back. Saturno and she left without saying anything else. Toph knew now the full extent of what they did to him when she felt his face then as she reached out and held his hand as they walked back to camp. His nail-less hands, painfully held onto hers.

She also felt a strange feeling, that one hour with Saturno somehow changed her, and him. No more secrets, they just openly got everything out of the way. Saturno told her he loved her, she said she wasn't sure, she touched his face, he got to spend a nice moment with her. Varajans, are rather strait and to the point by nature, she was used to this by now, no real space for all the running around or the doubts. As to romance, when it comes to being forward about feelings, they are very open and honest.

As the pair went back to their respective beds, Toph felt changed. She felt the airy feeling of when one grows up a little, spiritually. It was nice.

**The ending was brief, but I believe it was a nice affair. Let me know what you think, the next few chapters is where the change in the war will begin to take shape. I will be adding them in about 48-72 hours from 29/****dic****/07, so I hope you enjoyed this one as I did and I look forward from hearing what you think.**

**-The Varajan**


	17. Promise

**This chapter is the equivalent of "The Runaway"**** and ****the next chapter is set around Saturno and Aksavit entirely.**

**Promise**

The day after Saturno told Toph he loved her, he received a rather rude awakening from Aksavit. The gang was ready to make breakfast and to move out again. She bopped him on the head to wake him up, she paid no mind to his scarred face as he had forgotten to put on the veil again. When he followed her to sit down for breakfast the whole group noticed him at the same time. A myriad of gasps and stares were shot at him. He looked at them, then touched his face and realized the veil was probably on top of the hill where he left it. Damnation.

"Saturno, are you-" said Sokka before Saturno interrupted him, "I am alright" he said. Saturno sighed and poured himself a cup of the stew Katara was making, "May we speak of it later?" he asked, "It's too early to be speaking of scars methinks". He group reluctantly minded their own business. "Well my love, if you don't want to speak of this, maybe you'd like to hear some good news, sure as sure" said Aksavit plopping down next to him, when Toph heard the words "my love" she almost coughed in her bowl. To her surprise Saturno didn't say anything, the group was also surprised. "Saturno, before I came here I was sent with a good amount of troops that were to aid Dahlia in capturing you. But know that she and a few soldiers are but a scarce fraction of what has followed your wake", "What do you mean?" asked Jet sitting next to Katara. Aksavit took a deep breath, "Apparently the Black Wind Kingdom has struck a cease fire after subjugating the Daciat and Viathan tribes. And this means that the Black Wind Kingdom has complete control over its borders. Following this I learned just before I left that they will be sending the 13th and 9th Legions to the west after these were relieved of their duties in the borders, to attempt to colonize an area in the Fire Nation. Dahlia struck a deal with their princess and they are going to use this as a new base of operations with the intent of looting and sending resources back to Varajo most likely, the bit about the 13th being here is the good news" said Aksavit casually. Saturno felt short of air, "Azula told me she was rid of the messenger ship with news of their bargain" he said to himself, "AZULA!?!?!" said Katara, Aang and Sokka in unison. Saturno looked at them a little surprised, "I take it you've met her before?", "Yeah, she almost killed Aang!" said Katara. Saturno looked away thoughtfully, to the gang, with his new face, he seemed and felt like a different person. "She was kind to me, though I do recognize her as an enemy. She helped me escape, in exchange I have to stop the varajan invasion", the group looked amongst themselves. The invasion of the Fire Nation in question has gotten much more complicated, "If anything we will have to face the Fire Nation army and one of the most veteran varajan legions" said Aksavit, "One?" asked Saturno, confused. Aksavit shot him a smile, "You own that legion, sure as sure", "I do not", "Oh yes you do. After what you did and left, discontent has reared its ugly head amongst the troops. Since I am an officer of the varajan armies I just happen to know where they landed, and I just happen to know for sure that we can sway them to assist us, sure as sure" she said confidently. "It can be that simple?" asked Saturno, Aksavit nodded, "Why?", "You shared every single hardship with them. You always stood up to the authority that governs us, besides you always fought hard, and placed the lives of your troops above your own. If you would just lead them, they would follow you. I know this for a fact". Saturno hesitated, the 9th Legion, that's his mother's legion. Could she be here, in the Fire Nation?

Aksavit shifted her head to the side, "You have doubts?", "Why are you telling me this now?", "Because I did not want to tax your mind with unnecessary pains until due time", "And that time is now? We do not have an army, just a band of soldiers and you rest our hopes on a legion who is miles away and who will most likely attack us?!" he yelled her in an agitated voice. "Saturno, I've known you since you were a child. All throughout your life you have had a morbid fear of death, yet you have invited it, because you hate what you are and your slavery as a servant of death! In the weeks I have spent with your friends I've seen new life in you, the will to fight because you believe in something greater than yourself, because you care for someone more than you do yourself!" Saturno almost fell off the stone he was sitting on, Aksavit was in her tactful, speech making mood. "You cannot outrun the world Saturno, you chose to fight for Toph Bei Fong willingly, but to reach the peace you so prophesize to desire, you are going to have to embrace what you are and kill every single being that stands between you and the Avatar and bringing balance to the world. Even if you and your friends abandoned this quest now to live, what kind of life would you have?! You fight or you die!" she yelled at him almost on top of him, he slumped on the ground. She glared at him, "Saturno, you and I are going to the 13th and we are going to bring them to the fray. And you will lead them, is that clear?!" she said in a cold voice, he nodded. She then cracked a sweet smile and pulled him up, "Then its settled, sure as sure" she said happily as she sat on the ground helping herself to another helping of Katara's stew. The group was in shock, Saturno instantly relaxed and sat next to Toph. "You're leaving?" asked Sokka half-convince about what Aksavit said, Saturno nodded, "Just like that?! You can't do that after being gone so long!" said Jet . "I have to. If I don't we will have two legions against us. Our attempt is doomed if we don't", "But what if you're wrong and you get caught again!" said Aang defensively, Saturno looked at Aang openly showing off his face, "If Aksavit is wrong, then we have already lost, we cannot defeat two legions and the Fire Nation troops. If she is right we have more than a fighting chance" said Saturno coldly. The group slumped, the varajans were leaving when they had just gotten back. "When are you leaving?" asked Katara understanding that they are right, Aksavit shot Saturno a look and said, "Tonight".

The group started to train a bit, and all throughout Saturno seemed like a different person. Aang and Katara practiced waterbending and while the Freedom Fighters and Sokka sparred. They were all purposefully practicing seeing as they were going to fight varajans and having the soldiers who fought in the palace and their two friends as examples; they couldn't help but be a little edgy. As they trained Aksavit behaved like a overseer, trying to help everyone improve. Saturno, by Toph's request began to spar with her. She was angry with him, last night he told her he loved her. The next morning he lets Aksavit flirt with him and he decides to leave with Aksavit without even consulting her. Saturno took off his Fire Nation shirt and got into his loose stance. Toph was going to enjoy this.

Toph felt on the ground Saturno's position and naturally assumed her stance. She was mad him and he was not aware of it. To his mind he had done nothing wrong except agreed to go without asking Toph how she felt about it. But he'd talk to her about it later, his mind was preoccupied with a lot of things at the moment.

Between the two of them, there was a pause, both of them waiting for the other to attack. Toph made up her mind not to budge, let him make the first move. Saturno decided to attack, he began to confidently inch forward, just probing to see how close he could get before she attacked. Not very far as it turned out. He took a few steps and she bended a spire out of the ground at him, none of this was to hurt him, just to rough him up a bit. To her mind, all she had seen from Saturno depended on darkbending, so apart from that she was fine, and he wasn't going to use it she guessed. He sidestepped the spire and bended a small boulder at her, she stopped it in mid air, but in the brief instant it traveled from him to her he bended an air blast at her legs. She slid and landed on all fours. He almost knocked her down, "Forgot, he can bend everything like Aang" she thought. She bended herself underground in the blink of an eye, just as he landed in the spot she was after bending a spire as to catapult him there. Saturno looked around desperately, she wasn't anywhere he could see, this was bad, she was probably going to come from underneath him. His feet slipped as two little mounds dashed through his footing. He was wrong, she wasn't going to come from underneath him, she was hidden somewhere behind him. Another boulder flew at him, this one narrowly missing him as he ducked on all fours, then a spire hit him from underneath launching him several feet away.

"In trouble?" asked Toph coming up from underground, she was surprised when she felt he disappeared, she launched him into the air but he hadn't come down yet. She wondered for a moment, " No, I didn't hit him that hard", she was surprised when Saturno landed right in front of her after bending the air to give him a trajectory to her. When he landed in front of her he latched onto her neck and right arm in an attempt to knock her down. She struggled away and struck him once in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, he in turn latched onto both of her hands, interlocking his fingers with hers and struggling with her to knock her down. Saturno discovered there and then that Toph, even at her age, is a solid girl and was deceitfully strong physically. He did what his instructors had told him to do years ago when dealing with a larger opponent, or with a stubborn one, use their strength against them. Saturno, lifted Toph by her arms and spun her to his left, tripping her with his right leg. She fell to the ground and struggled to break free of his vice grip. She grunted and struggled to break free only to end up jamming her foot in his chest in an effort to free herself. He started to strain, if her arms were strong, he knew her legs were iron solid. She could feel him letting up, his arm joints were straining. She was so focused in trying to rip him off that she didn't react immediately when he slipped his chest away, pinning her leg onto his shoulder with his arm in a vice grip around the back of her neck. She tried murderously hard to rip him off, but she was in a bad lock, her leg was pinned in a way she couldn't push very hard. Saturno kept her other hand down with his own. Both were grunting and straining, trying not to give an inch.

The gang stopped practicing as the noticed the entangled bundle. From a distance it looked kind of funny, both of them straining against the other. The pair shifted and Toph had Saturno between her legs, which were clamped around his ribs in a crushing hold, she was trying to shift her legs from there to under his armpit and over his shoulder where she could strangle him. She was also using her arms in an effort to constrict his windpipe. He on the other hand was protecting his neck with his chin and trying to strangle her with his hands. "They should get a room" said Jet shooting Katara a flirty look, she laughed and paid no heed to him. All of them were laughing amongst themselves but regarded the pair again when Saturno stood and began smashing Toph against the ground in an effort to get her off. After being hit thrice against the floor she shifted and managed to worm her way onto his back, here she tripped him and managed to bring him to his knees as she tightened her hold on his neck. "Uh, hu, what are you going to do?" she whispered into his ear. He grabbed her by the back of the neck and managed to swing her over his shoulder onto the ground. He pinned both her arms down with his own as he loomed on top of her. "The fight is over" said Aksavit amongst the group as she walked to them. Toph grunted loudly trying to break free but to no avail, he had the grip. "Arrnok! Alright break it up! Break it up!" said Aksavit, when Saturno heard the magic word that in varajan means "stop", he promptly obeyed. Toph hadn't taken to the command, or accepted her loss yet, being in a competitive state of mind. She shoved him off, and grunted as she caught her breath, he plopped down next to her and laughed lightly. "I liked that, you are very good" he said with a wide smile on his face, "You too" said Toph taking deep breaths to relax and catch her breath. Saturno never held back as they fought, good, Toph didn't need someone treating her like her father did. The pair sat quietly as the rest of the gang resumed practicing.

Toph searched for the right words to what she wanted to say. "I'm sorry I did not consult you about leaving tonight" said Saturno breaking the silence, Toph instantly picked up on the conversation as if she started it, "Why did you do it then?", "Because I have to, you understand this?", "Yeah, its just…..I would have said go right ahead and be careful. But it just bugs me that you just agreed to it without saying anything to me. I'm worried about you, you know?". Saturno inched next to her and threw his arm around her in a comforting sway. She cracked a smile and glanced at him, the smile faded as she remembered the other bit. "What did Aksavit mean by "My love"?" asked Toph with a strait and serious face, Saturno looked at her a little confused, "It's just an affectionate term, she uses it all the time", "I've only heard it with you", "Yes well I suppose she simply thought it was best to simply not use it around you as did I, because neither of us knew how you would take to it". Toph smiled again, understanding where they were going. She got up and pulled him to his feet. "Let's go again" she said as she got into her stance, he mirrored her and attacked again.

Throughout the day the pair kept fighting. Playfully jabbing each other after they were done, every single time they fought, the pair found they were both giving it their all. No holding back, they couldn't afford to, the other would simply take advantage of the other. Something kept bugging Toph though, now she was seeing prolonged interaction between the pair, and Aksavit was amorous if not flirtatious with Saturno. She wasn't mad at him though, he never, ever picked up on what she was saying. Even if Toph was not completely sure of what she was feeling, or ready to accept it, she did know and accept that Aksavit acting this way towards Saturno definitely pissed her off.

"Saturno!" shouted Aksavit, he came to her wearing his smile. "Go into town with Sokka and Jet and buy us some food" she said tossing him his satchel. Saturno's face lighted up in happiness, "You saved it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" he said as he rifled through it checking if his blue eye was there. He clutched it and placed it in his pocket. He gave Aksavit a hug and a peck on the cheek. Toph watched without facing them, as she practiced a technique that Saturno had taught her. The technique needed someone to place his how body into it, it somewhat looked like a hybrid of water and earthbending. The end result would be a shattering of earth, with a wide spread effect. This was just one occasion in which both techniques in both varajan and western variations would be the same. Instead of emotion, rather than structure, it was understandable by both groups. Toph wasn't bugged by Saturno's affectionate gestures, he did the same with everyone. She noticed he must have calmed down from his ordeal while he was captured. That is one aspect that Toph liked about his training. No traumatic ordeal stuck to him, he basically shifted back to himself completely in a few days. Aksavit did something that pissed off the blind earthbender. She swatted Saturno on the butt as he left. She could have sworn that she squeezed his buttocks too.

"WHAT!!! She can't do that, only I….well….I can't do that either but she "sure as sure" CAN'T!!" yelled Toph in her head. She marched up to Aksavit who was alone, watching the clouds. The Soldadus opened her eyes as the petite earthbender stood in front of her. "Aksavit, we need to talk" said Toph sternly, Aksavit smiled knowing Toph couldn't see she was in her strange mood of probing people. "About?" asked Aksavit feigning innocence, "About how you treat Saturno", "What about it?", Toph searched for the right words, "I just don't like it how you treat him. You-", "Flirt?" said Aksavit laying back in a relaxed pose, not minding the girl before her, "Yeah! That and that you-", "Swatted him on his perfect buttocks", "Yes, I mean NO!!" said Toph as she recoiled from the trick. "Let me give you some advice; Saturno is beyond you, sure as sure", "WHAT?!?!" yelled Toph. How dare she? How dare she say that? Saturno likes me on his own, so how dare this…floozy flirt around with him, when he clearly has a relationship with me!

"That's not true" said Toph sternly as she reassured herself, "What isn't? Look, you are really cute and fun to be around, but at the end of the day. Will he seek you out?", Toph was infuriated, she grabbed onto Aksavit's clothing and pulled her down to eyelevel with her other hand clenched in a fist. "Saturno told me he loves me! And if you ever, flirt, touch or bother him again, I swear you are going to regret it!" she said behind gritted teeth, Aksavit smiled, "Why should I hold back my feelings just because you don't want me to touch him? You don't even like him that way", "Yes I do!! I love-" Toph stopped, she almost said it, she almost said it without giving it a second thought, like it was instinct. Toph eased her grip, she wasn't mad anymore, "You love him?" asked Aksavit wearing a wry grin and cocking her head sideways to hers. Toph felt herself blush some and she looked away, "Yeah" she said almost inaudibly, "What was that I couldn't hear you?", "Yeah" she said just a little louder, "I'm sorry wha-", "YES! I love him, ok?". Aksavit clapped her hands and knelt down so she would be at a lower eye level than Toph. "But does he know that?", Toph glanced in Aksavit's direction, "I think so, yeah he knows", "But have you said those three magic words to him? There lies a difference between someone thinking that you might love them, and actually saying and reaffirming it. There is also a difference in acting like it, sure as sure" said Aksavit, Toph nodded as she understood what Aksavit meant, "So I guess I've got some competition?" said Toph letting go of Aksavit's now wrinkled shirt. The Soldadus kissed Toph on the forehead, that felt weird coming from her, "Nah, I was just testing you" she said, Toph glared at her half-convinced, "What?", "Yup, I just wanted to see if you would defend your claim is all. He's all yours, and any girl who thinks different is going to answer to us". Toph couldn't help but smile, "By the way, you have my blessing", Toph looked at her, confused. "Blessing? I'm not sure I follow you", "I am the closest thing he has to family apart from his two deceased sisters. And if you want to pursue the matter further than just an affair, I want you to know that you have my blessing and that you are "ok in my book" as you westerners say" she said while smiling. Toph sighed, smiled and jabbed Aksavit on the arm. The same returned the jab playfully.

That night the gang got together and made some of Katara's famous duckquail stew. Toph wanted to spend as much time as she could with Saturno seeing as he was leaving later on. During the dinner, she leaned on him resting her head on his shoulder, he cocked his head to her while smiling. She leaned on his ear and whispered, "Promise you'll come back. Promise me you'll come back and I'll believe you", Saturno smiled tenderly and kissed her on the cheek, he and Toph knew that she had a little ways more to go until she was used to this. "I promise" he said. Later on, the varajans dressed in their dark clothing with hoods, and veils. The gang said their goodbyes and good lucks, Toph handed Saturno her old hair band, without saying a word. He smiled sweetly and handed her one of his rings, his favorite one which was silvery and embroiled with the design of a black thorn band. They made this exchange to have something to remind themselves of each other. Something comforting. They hugged and kissed each other on the cheeks and went on their way. The gang was happy with the pair, "You're are really cute together" said Smellerbee, leaning on Longshot. "Yeah, yeah I know. Don't get all soft on me" said Toph walking to her spot around the campfire, "Same could be said about you when you are with Saturno" said Katara plopping down next to him. "So when are you getting married?" asked Sokka making a mild attempt to tease her. He found himself tripped over by a stone she bended in his way, he fell flatly on the ground. "True" she said answering Katara's comment, she then looked at Sokka grinning mischievously after tripping him, "But watch yourself Snoozles. He's gone now".

**Happy New Year Everyone!!!**

**Long Live the 13****th**** Legion!!!**

**-The Varajan**


	18. The 13th Legion

**Ok so this chapter will be set entirely around Saturno and Aksavit. Here you get a lot of hints about Saturno's past and in the next one I'll reveal all. SO ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE ABOUT ANY VARAJAN!!!! PLEASE POST ON REVIEWS AND I WILL PLACE THE ANSWERS CLEVERLY IN THE STORY, DO NOT DELAY!!!! Who did what? Who likes who? Why? When? How? Varajan society, varajan laws and customs. You name it, ask me on reviews and I will look for a way to place them on the story. I hope you enjoy the chapter, I know I did.**** And if you posted….here's a cookie! I will update on the 20th of January, so if you have anything to ask or say please do it before then, I look forward to hearing from anyone who has a question (post on reviews my email is broken).**

**The 13****th**** Legion**

Saturno and Aksavit marched throughout the night and well into the morning. Saturno didn't bother asking Aksavit where they were going exactly, or how far was it. For matters of war she was very prompt and prudent. They didn't even stop to eat, they had their breakfast, lunch and dinner while the walked. By nighttime Saturno felt like a soldier again, but in a good way, he had been feeling good about the whole business of fighting again. Because he was fighting in something he believed in. The more they marched though, the more and more he thought about what he was going to say, rather than do concerning the army. Saturno was a dangerous man, he and everyone knew this, but he was also a brutal general, his favorite tactics concerned phalanxes, men and women tightly packed together in a wall of spears. These soldiers didn't shy away from fire, water or air, but if they ,lost their footing by earthbending they were in trouble. He machinated concerning the battle that was to come, he would have to think of some unorthodox tactics, the 9th was the 13th sister legion, he and they knew full well what the other was capable of, he would have to think of something. He had an idea, he quietly thanked the sky looking down on him as if the Gods could hear him. His mother and father taught him to be paranoid, "the ends justify the means", he had great idea; treachery. The Fire Nation army and the 13th can betray the 9th and crush them. Saturno grinned evilly, he would have to speak with Azula though and finding her was something that the 13th probably knew about.

The pair marched tirelessly for two days, Saturno then picked up a palpable smell that made him salivate. Gyros; a varajan wrap of bread and meats and a yogurt called zatziki. Aksavit stopped on the top of the hill and gestured him to come see, Saturno fingered Toph's band to calm himself. When he came to the ridge he smiled involuntarily, there was the 13th Legion, in a small palisade fort, 1000 soldiers ready for battle. The banners that danced on the gates and buildings still had his particular insignia, higher command hadn't gotten to changing them yet. Saturno wondered perhaps if the soldiers kept his spindly spiral on the banner as a matter of respect, or because they honored him or missed him. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves and appear as commanding as he was before. He shifted into his commander state of mind. He took off his hood and veil and marched purposefully to the fort, Aksavit fell in behind him.

As Saturno neared the door less gate the four soldiers there stood in attention, "Halt!" one of them said, Saturno looked at him strait in the eyes without stopping, "Sa-Saturno?!" said the same guard, the others looked amongst themselves unsure as to what to do, there were smiles but also grimaces as aiding a traitor and not treating them with outright hostility was punishable by death. Saturno placed his hand on the guard's shoulder and smiled, she returned the smile and looked at him with some grade if warm awe. "It's alright, I won't let anyone be executed", Saturno continued inside the camp and the word of his name spread faster than an epidemic. Soldiers, Junior Soldadus, Priests, Archers, Cavalrymen, Dragoon Riders crowded around him. He couldn't help but smile widely; the soldiers were overjoyed to see him. Some bowed their heads, others dropped to one knee, these were the ones who respected him the most. The made his way to the massive tent in which the commanders and Senior Soldadus would be, one of them, who was at the entrance of the tent which was elevated on a platform shouted at the people inside. In an instant three commanders and three other Senior Soldadus dashed out to the rouge and his mob of followers.

Saturno marched right up to the bottom of the platform and smiled at the Soldadus who recognized him, "Hello Hecate! Looki here!" he said gesturing his nose, "You broke it and Dahlia cut it off, pretty ironic considering she is your cousin and that she used to like me eh?". Hecate felt a child crawl up his spine, "Soldiers! Kill him!!" yelled one of the commanders, the soldiers looked amongst themselves, no one was moving. Saturno smiled wickedly as some black robed figures approached him, The Invictus, or undefeated, shadowy, murderous assassins and shock troops that were under his command. Saturno knew from experience that they had great distaste for command, they are drawn from the ranks of slaves and they are conditioned to be loyal and fanatical. And they are, but just not to the generals or the Soldadus who were with them. Saturno took a spear from one of the soldiers and marched up the ramp, the generals stuttered and tried to run back only to have their escape blocked by two Invictus. Saturno skewered effortlessly one of the Soldadus who slumped and rolled of the ramp, the Invictus killed the other two who were closest to the generals. Hecate moved backwards away from the Invictus and the Soldadus, he drew his weapon and a small sun of fire formed around his hand. Saturno smiled wickedly, "As you taught me master, never forgive and never forget", and in one elegant movement he jabbed Hecate in the thigh and slapped the blade out of his and with the blade of the spear. As Hecate brought the fire towards Saturno, the Soldadus cleaved the lance downward upon Hecate's arm. The man held a grimace of pain and breathed sharply as the fire licked the floor and dissipated. "You are a teacher, not a soldier", said Saturno bringing the blade to Hecate's chest. Hecate smiled at how Saturno was trying to belittle him, "Ah, but I taught you", "Yes, but I am better than you", "I know, but you are an animal Saturno and that's all you are ever going to be" said Hecate smiling and holding perfectly still, bent on accepting his death with some dignity. "I didn't force children to butcher people" answered Saturno remembering the look on Gretto's face when he was executed, he knew that this was prodding where Hecate was vulnerable. "I am better than you, and I am going to set everything right", he said as he skewered Hecate through the neck. The same fell of the high ramp to the floor convulsing, a few soldiers came up to him and slowly stabbed him to death out of spite. Saturno made a quick and forceful gesture and wine from inside the tent flowed and formed around his hands. He clamped on the general's arm and gave him a "you asked for this" look. "Saturno no! I did nothing to your sisters! They are alive!" said the general, fear swelling up in his eyes, Saturno looked at the man maliciously, "Like wine do you?" he said as the wine which was a favorite of the general formed into ice and snaked its way around the general's throat, face and into his eyes. The man convulsed trying to get loose as Saturno made a small jerk and the man's neck forcefully turned almost 180 degrees. Saturno sighed wistfully with satisfaction, he looked at the other two generals and then gestured the two Invictus. The two men begged for mercy as the two shadowy figures butchered them. Saturno took a deep breath and got ready to recite what he had thought about saying to the troops on the way there.

"Children of Varajo! All our lives we have been fighting, all our lives we have bled for a war without end, all our lives we have seen endless numbers of our brothers and sisters, kin and dearest blood die. Today I ask you, fight for me, and you will have peace, the freedom to live and watch your children grow. What say you?" he said loudly and commandingly, the soldiers looked amongst themselves, a pair of junior Soldadus or Volkdadus stepped forward humbly and unsure. "But, sir….we….we will be traitors…..Varajo will send legions to hunt us. The 9th will destroy us when they combine with the Fire Nation army", the pair of Soldadus received glares from the rest of the army. "True, you will be traitors. You will never see home again. But consider this, what if you fight for me, what if we win and we win our freedom? Is that not worth fighting for? Is that not worth dying for? Your enthrallment to Varajo can be your prison only if you let it, someone very close to me once said" said Saturno thinking about Toph as she helped him let go of his past months ago.

The Soldadus looked amongst themselves and said, "But if we win, what comes next?", "You will have to figure that out for yourselves", "Ludicrous! We are Soldadus and warriors, not farmers!" said one Soldadus clearly overstepping his boundaries, the other soldiers shot glares at him and some drew their weapons. The same Soldadus stepped up the ramp towards Saturno and continued "How does this fit into your machinations? What are you going to do!? Did you know that your parents; Ara and Dimitrios Rakanus are here! Both of them commanding the 9th, we cannot hope for victory!", Saturno lost his temper for an instant as he swallowed the comment from the Soldadus; that his parents were here in the West. But he did feel the cold hand of fear wrap itself behind his neck before he could tear it away. He brought his arm full bear against the boy and slapped him to the ground dismissively. "COWARD!!! You can run and live and die, years from now a sad decrepit old man! Or you can run to them and be spared, turning your back on every single one of your brothers and sisters in arms! Damn it! I am giving you the chance to have the one thing we have never had; Freedom. The freedom to live, to love, to live in peace!". The Soldadus looked at Saturno not daring to stand up, "Even if you run or join them. Years and years from now, wouldn't you give everything just to come back and grasp victory or die with your comrades. And just to scream at the 9th and Varajo for that matter that they take our lives but they can never take our goddamn freedom!!!", soldiers took up their arms and roared in approval, Saturno had them in the palm of their hand. He looked back at the Soldadus he had slapped and offered his hand to help him stand up and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I have been a slave, or very close to one. Then again, you are a Soldadus, you why I feel the way I do", the Soldadus stood and whispered, "I do not, Saturno you are….something in and of yourself. No one will know what you have been through" said the Soldadus before bowing his head. Saturno pondered about the Soldadus's words. He was pulled from his thoughts by a figure that approached him, he smiled at the familiar face, and smiled at the sky as he usually did when he sought council, words faded into his mind as if they were placed there, words of the future. Saturno smiled melancholically and the sound around him dulled, he whispered, "I know, I know but I have to do this, I have to do this for my friends, for everyone, for Toph".

The rest of the day was filled with surprises. Old friends and loved ones came to him. He felt euphoric with happiness and monumentally relieved. He had the idea about Azula pop back into his mind, he had to visit her he had to speak to her to make the plot come full circle. He felt somehow that she would greet him without deceit and would help him. He hoped, now, in this crucible of his life. He hoped to the Gods that he would succeed. Since he was a child he respected and honored the Gods, but never asked them for anything. He always knew that no matter how much you ask for a miracle, at the end of the day, brave men and women always make them happen, not the Gods. Saturno felt the hand of fear wrap itself around his heart, he was going to have to fight and kill his parents. They were so strong, powerful and dangerous, the sickening realization of all this forced him to couteract it with the overwhelming might of hate he had been building up for years. He kept his nerve, and more, he wanted to fight and kill them both. He whispered in his mind,"Today is the beginning of the rest of my beautiful life". For Aang, for Sokka, Katara, Jet, the Freedom Fighters, for everyone, for Toph. He would not fail, he could not.

That night, the army burned the fort. And marched into the gaping maw of fear and uncertainty, for peace, for glory, for their loved ones, for freedom, they marched. But all felt reassured, simply seeing their young commander at the very front of their column. To the troops, he had reached the same place he was in when he was at his peak in Varajo. They loved him, they would die for him.

* * *

Azula sat in her war room in the bay at the Fire Nation's capital going through paperwork, when one of her soldiers came to her room, "What is it?" she asked without even looking at the soldier, just staring out of the window. "Princess, there are three varajan emissaries from the 13th Legion here to see you. They say it is paramount to the outcome of the invasion that they speak to you", Azula gestured for him to let them in. The guard stepped outside and Azula wondered what was the new trauma that required her attention, the varajans were always ruthless and knowledgeable enough to deal with any problem. Three green and black robed people walked into the room. "So what is so important that you needed to come see me?" she said turning to look at them, the one in the middle spoke up with a raspy, deep and torn voice, "May we speak in private?", Azula nodded and sent the two guards away and the same closed the door. "Refresh my memory, isn't green and black the colors of a traitor?" she said tactfully thinking it was Dahlia's idea of a punishment for these people. The middle emissary came to her and embraced her lightly, she was just about to kick him in the stomach when he spoke up in his usual voice, "Hello Azula, I'm very happy to see you are alright", "SATURNO!?!?" Azula almost shouted but the slapped one hand over her mouth. She instantly figured out how he got in by passing off for an emissary, "What are you doing here?!" she said, "I am glad you asked. But I have one question for you", Azula said nothing, she just crossed her arms and tapped her foot expectantly, "How did you pass off to Dahlia the impression that I'm dead?", Azula rolled her eyes impishly, "I sent her the charred corpse of a prisoner that looked like you. She couldn't tell the difference and thought it was fitting", "Did she say anything?", "It looked to me like she was upset. I think she likes you" said Azula as she sat down, "She does, or did anyway. You see I tried to win her heart but I failed rather miserably. Afterwards I believe it might be the God's cruel sense of humor to curse her with an infatuation towards me", Azula couldn't help but smile at how he grinned impishly at the memory. 

"I assume you didn't come here to tell me about your love life?" she said leaning back on her chair. "No, but the reason I came to you is. I want to talk to you about an idea I have concerning the 9th Legion. It involves treachery" he said poking at Azula's interest, the princess noticed and smiled sincerely. "I'm listening" she said. During the conversation with him, Azula found herself wondering why her heart felt funny when she looked at him. It wasn't disgust, it was…admiration. His plan was cunning and traitorous, she couldn't have made it better herself, except when she told him about her "airships". At the end of the conversation they embraced each other like old friends and she saw him out of the room. She then closed the door and leaned on it, she sighed stiffly, "I cannot believe I'm attracted that outlander moron" she spat.

**Nice chapter methinks, remember. Post all your questions on reviews and I'll look for a way to insert the answers in the story. Please R&R, here's another cookie.**** And if you didn't know, in the chapter where Saturno remembers the first time he had his heart broken, here's the answer in case you haven't put two and two together. Dahlia did it and she still has a crush on him…… And remember, questions suggestions and comments place on reviews. My email is screwed up so post it there and I'll send you a message if you had anything to ask me.**


	19. The New Plan

**Sorry for the delay I just ****sorta**** let the wheel spin for a while alone thinking I would get plenty of questions as to the story but apparently**** not. ****Shinobibender**** for asking the one**** question**** that was posted****….here's a cookie! I hope you like the chapter sorry for the delay.**** If any of you wish to e-mail me ****fell**** free to, I fixed my e-mail problems and the same is posted on my page.**** Also this is another of those explanatory chapters, from the next one on they will be full blown ones.**

**The ****New Plan**

Aang was feeling sick to his stomach. It was the day of Black Sun, this was it, the moment in history that would determine the future, for everyone. He was reassured by the sight of his allies; Earth Kingdom soldiers that had escaped the fall of Ba Sing Se and the subjugation of the Earth Kingdom. waterbender tribesmen from the northern water tribe, not to mention Sokka's father's troops and the waterbenders from the swamps, Haru and his father and the rest of the Freedom Fighters, even the Hippo and the Boulder from Earth Rumble Six, were all here to do their part. Everyone was busily making their way about camp in the rendezvous point in anticipation of the battle ahead of them. There was no sign of Saturno or Aksavit yet, Aang and the group were desperately hoping for Saturno's success, for if he failed, well, Aang thought it best not to think about that.

While Aang was quietly sitting on the edge of the cliff overlooking the bay he leaned back and laid on his back looking at the clouds. The sky was clear but there were some dark, ominous , mounds on the horizon, the young airbender thought for a moment that if it rained during the battle that might be a bad sign.

While he contemplated the omens and signs he perceived he heard a faint, deep flap as if from a wing. He heard it and it stopped, he let it go in his mind perceiving it as an illusion of the nervous mind, then he heard it again, he sat up and looked around the sky, he almost screamed of fear when the ground around him shook and a macabre creature landed a dozen feet away from him. Aang in one elegant movement landed on his feet well away from the creature. "I bid thee fair tidings Avatar Aang" said the rider of the creature holding up his right hand, Aang lowered his guard only slightly, "Young one, my master Saturno Rakanus bids thee greetings and wishes me to inform thee of his approach with the Thirteenth Legion". Aang lowered his guard completely, this man knew Saturno, weird though Saturno's last name was Sahz or so he said, but a Saturno with the 13th Legion? That could be no other than his Saturno.

Aang looked the rider and his creature over in detail. The creature the man was riding was a dragon no doubt about it but it was a dragon unlike any he had seen before. The creature was shorter and had wings for arms and the face itself was more of a sharp hooked beak than anything else, with two bull horns coming from under the jaw. The creature's scales were a myriad of tones of blacks and grays and the creature's eyes deep amber with vertical slits. The rider was a heavily dressed man, robes as black as night, with wicked looking gauntlets and helmet. Something about the man struck Aang as particularly odd, the man's helmet were a series of jagged plates placed in unison across his head covering everything, these plates hooked wickedly around the man's mouth which was unusually large and possessed very sharp teeth. There were countless inscriptions on the helmet and the man's mouth had line tattoos on it. These cut diagonally from both angles and vertically giving the man an otherworldly appearance. The man's voice though was the strangest thing, it sounded like two voices speaking at once, one deeper another shriller, the two voices were cruel and eldritch. Aang moved to the side a bit and was surprised at how accurately the blind man followed his movements, not to mention he was accurately looking at his face.

Aang didn't know what to say to the man who had spoken to him, but he was rescued in a sense when he heard shouting from the bay that said "Warships!!". Aang excused himself from the man on the dragon and airbended down to the people in the beach, "Everyone relax! These are our allies!" shouted Aang, everyone stopped what they were doing and stayed in a group tentatively watching the intimidating ships approach the beachhead.

"Twinkle Toes! Is it Saturno!?" asked Toph almost running into him, "I think so" he answered as he noticed Saturno's ring which she wore without taking it off since he left, he smiled as she stood next to the group practically squirming with excitement. She hadn't seen Saturno in two weeks but it felt like an eternity for her. Aang's closest friends flocked around him hesitantly lowering their guard as he reassured them they were Saturno's ships. These were peculiar ships in the sense of how they looked, they were wide and tall, they had diamond shaped sails, they also bore eyes on the sides of the point of the ship. All the sails were colored green and black, each and every one of them bore at least one banner with Saturno's spindly spiral on it. From the twenty ships, the main one by the look of its front tip groaned itself onto the beach.

From the same an intimidating figure jumped off, followed by several darkly robed men and followed by a procession of armored soldiers. The leader himself was an intimidating sight, his armor was a dark sage that didn't shine. A cape that was pitch black and a strange helmet that hooked a proportionate metallic sail horizontally over the man's head, the same covered the entire face save for two malicious slits for eyeholes. The same figure's armor had a brass trim to it, and unless Aang was mistaken, he looked to be wearing a shirt made of small chains, the same went for his pants. The whole of the commander's armor was made in resemblance to Saturno's old armor but with a darker feel.

Aang more and more got the feeling he was looking at Saturno himself when he noticed the scale segmented sword the man was carrying, but these thoughts were put to rest when the man stepped and solid earth and Toph instantly recognized the man's step. She dashed off to him and the man responded in kind.

When the two met the man embraced Toph and swept her off her feet. The talking that could be discerned was along the lines of both being monumentally relieved to see each other. Both of their processions followed to meet each other between the two groups of soldiers. The gang looked at the armored soldiers a bit hesitantly as they were quite a sight to behold.

This sentiment was shared by the whole of Aang's allies, all of the soldiers looked at the varajans with a strange sense of mistrust and of awe. Their armor, their weapons, them, they all exhumed an aura of violence. An aura that made everyone uncomfortable.

As the gang along with the Freedom Fighters, Sokka's father and all of the people in power regarding the rag tag army converged with the procession that gathered on the beach around Toph and Saturno, the boy took off his helmet. The adults paid no heed to his scars as they wanted to make a good first impression with the general of the army. Saturno rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said "We need to have words before we invade, things have changed".

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

All of the people in command were standing at attention where Sokka's father had earlier that day given the battle plan. Saturno stood there with Aksavit and his lieutenant; the blind man who was appropriately named Mouth. On the ground in perfect military order were sitting the other officers of the army and standing on the sides were all the varajan officers, stoically listening to what their leader had planned.

"There is a new plan for the invasion" Saturno began as he looked at the map before the officers. He pointed at where the massive gateway was for the bay, the one Azula told him there would be a massive netting that could be set aflame. "My armada will spearhead the entire assault of the Day of Black Sun, first-". "First off I'd like to ask you; who are you? And what do you mean you will spearhead this?" asked Sokka's father, "We already have a plan, it'll do", Saturno turned to him and said calmly, "My name is Saturno Rakanus I am the commander of the 13th Legion of the varajan Kingdom of Blackwind and we are here to help Aang finish the war. I have a contact inside the Fire Nation, one that knows everything that they are planning, the invasion plan was doomed to fail, or almost doomed to fail", the officers kept silent, "Varajo? What do you mean? Who is your informant?", Saturno forced a smile. "Azula", gasps and hushed arguments and looks of distrust were shot at him, Saturno held up his hand "While I don't doubt that she was being earnest with the way she helped me plan the fall of the 9th Legion, the end result makes it irrelevant if she had any other plans or ideas", "And what is the end result of your plan?" asked Sokka's father concerned , Saturno looked at Sokka's father coldly trying to hide his other concerns, "The death of the Fire Lord of course ".

Sokka's father felt something nagging at him, a thought that he had to address. "I seriously doubt that your legion, Saturno, is going to fight for our sake alone", Saturno held his gaze and his demeanor without skipping a beat, "I will take the islands on the Fire Nation that were offered to the 9th Legion as a colony for my legion to inhabit as their own, you fight for your homes and we are fighting to acquire one", "To acquire one, why?", "If you continue to echo everything I say the eclipse will come and go before we are done speaking. We are a rouge legion, we just want a home. Regardless of what you believe about where we came from, what we are doing or what we want, believe me when I tell you we are here to help, however helping a people who don't want help is a moot point, now I ask you ;do you want our help or not?" said Saturno tactfully. The watertribe chief held his silence and simply nodded, he disliked this outlander, he and his ilk seemed dangerous, not to mention arrogant.

Saturno went on to explain the entire plan. With something called Cannons they would bring down the defenses at the gateway with ease due to the strange, weapon's long range capabilities. Along with the tanks the army possessed they would combine this with the phalanx formation that the varajan legion specialized in and they would work their way through with the Fire Nation's support up the hill, through the 9th Legion and to the Fire Nation capital. The Dragoons would keep the Fire Nation's Airships occupied if a betrayal came. As to the rest of the army, Saturno simply gave several names of all sorts of creatures that the 9th legion used for combat. All in all he told them, for their own good, to stay out of the fighting between the two legions. Many of the officers including the Boulder and Sokka's father asked why. Mouth told them, quite grimly that they would simply die.

The plan was set, the bit about Aang going to the capital was set aside. Azula had let Saturno know that her father was going to be in a bunker safely tucked away for the duration of the eclipse. She of course did not disclose where the bunker was.

As to Ozai, Saturno had the hunch that he would be forced to come out of hiding if they looted and burned the capital and the palace. An affront like that, Saturno thought, would harm his pride and his peace of mind as to the superiority of his troops. Plus, if he had news of the army still being in place for the time of the comet he would most certainly be happy to come out of hiding. When asked about how they were going to fight these immensely more powerful firebenders, Saturno stated that the army had its own tricks. And to lessen the blow of the comet's blessing, they would kill every single soldier that was on the field, therefore they would be less of a trouble, not to mention, the legion's firebenders would receive the same gift. And to a second point, the comet lasted roughly the same amount of time the eclipse does. So surviving this window was what would give them an edge when things got back to normal on the battle field.

And with that everyone went to their ships without being able to say anything more, time was fleeting and this was incontrovertibly the new course for the battle, Saturno had brought several things, such as the other legion and the airships into coalition and this obviously did kill the original plan. However, quietly, Saturno asked the gang to come on his ship until they got to the battlefield. He had several things he wanted to talk to them about, some good, some bad, he also wanted them to meet two very special people whom he thought to be lost to him.

As Saturno boarded his ship he couldn't help but be reminded of what he heard in his head as he sought council when he retrieved the 13th Legion.

It made him afraid……


	20. Old Loves, New Regrets

**Old Loves, New Regrets**

As the gang came on board, Saturno began to shout a few orders in varajan. The whole of the crew began to shuffle around, the ship as it groaned backwards and seawards in the direction of the battlefield to be. Saturno was uncommunicative as he made sure everything was in order, in fact he seemed like a different person, as opposed to how he behaved when he was with the gang, he commanded respect amongst these people, Sokka thought better about making a few sarcastic remarks he thought of, this really wasn't the right place, or Saturno at that time, the right person.

He gestured the gang to follow him into a large room at the back of the top deck. This was presumably the captain's quarters. He opened the door for them, the same were impressed by how strangely arranged were the objects and the objects themselves in the room.

There was a large double bed for him, a large dark wooden table in the middle of the room with a dozen schematics, maps and plans sprawled on its surface. Several strange suits of armor were arranged in a military fashion in a corner along with various exotic weapons. But what caught their eyes, apart from the presence of Mouth, was the presence of two young girls in the room. Both were of almost equal height, one slightly shorter than the other, both of them around Katara's height. One of them was sprawled on Saturno's bed wearing notably boyish varajan clothes and reading a book, this girl had thick but small glasses and a matching boyish haircut. The other girl was sitting neatly on a chair next to the table with the schematics drinking tea. Her long hair was tied in a braid much like Katara's when her journey began so long ago and she wore the kind of armor Saturno wore the first time he met up with the group. It was a maritime variant of the normal shell, in essence; sailor's armor. Both of the girls looked up as Saturno came into the room, everyone noticed how both girls looked remarkably similar to Saturno. Down to the jet black hair and brass eyes. Both stood up and walked to the group, Saturno stood aside and between them as a mediator of sorts.

"Friends, these are my sisters Palla and Sofia. Girls these are, Aang, Sokka, Katara and Toph" he said pointing to each in turn. Both girls came up and kissed on the cheek and embraced each in turn also, very varajan of them. An awkward silence settled between all of them.

"Saturno, you said-" but before Katara could finish, Palla said "He did think we were dead, you see mother and father sent Dahlia with the impression we are dead so Saturno would think the same. They kept us alive as leverage if things got out of hand".

That clarified things a bit, but the setting was awkward, no one knew exactly what to say. "So, if your parents are against us, what do we do, is that bad for us or really bad for us?" asked Toph trying to start a conversation, "Are they as strong as Saturno?" added Sokka remembering darkbending.

The varajans shot looks at each other, "Yes well, under normal circumstances, Saturno shouldn't be as strong as them. Have you ever asked yourselves why Saturno's parents, living in the world they live in put up with Saturno's defiance as much as they have?" asked Aksavit, the group shook their heads.

Aksavit took a deep breath serving herself some tea, "It's because Saturno, apart from being the only Soldadus in this branch of the family, making him the sole being that can plant the seed for next generation of Soldadus, he is a darkbending prodigy. Otherwise, they would have executed him and tried for another son or daughter with the Gift of the Deus", "And that gift is?" asked Sokka. "The ability to bend all elements, it passes on from one generation to another, if it is allowed to skip one generation, then the gift is lost. Which is why Saturno is so important to the family, and why there has been so much fuzz over his escape" she added.

"Saturno, seeing as your parents are the biggest problem, do you have a plan?", asked Sokka, no one had noticed but Saturno had taken off his armor and was being fitted with a new kind by Mouth, who also listened to what the boy had to say.

"My parents are not the only worry, the 9th Legion much our detriment has its full regiment. Meaning not only it's usual array of soldiers but; Elephossus, Heavy Cavalry and Arcanik" he said casually, the group shot looks at each other not knowing exactly what kind of soldiers, or things he meant. "But what about your parents? We've seen what you can do, can they do the same?" asked Katara inching closer to the table hesitantly to sit down with Sofia and Aksavit, "My father is the best lightbender I've ever seen . I suppose I can defeat him in single combat if I challenge him to it, his pride is his greatest weakness, but my mother is the true beast's head". "So what do we do about her?" asked Aang. Saturno remained silent as he fastened the last of his clothing, arm and leg wraps. From his silence, everyone in the room had the same strange feeling, "I am going to kill them both" he said emotionlessly, his sisters said nothing, Katara looked at him fixatedly and recoiled slightly, he wasn't kidding.

"Saturno, no one is all bad, you can't, you can't really mean-", "It's not up to you to decide, but if it comes to it, I will". Everyone in the room felt a strange grip in their hearts, they all loved their parents, 

the monks in Aang's case, but Saturno had gotten to the point where he was openly stating he was going to kill them. And he **never** lied or joked about things like that.

"What do we have in the army?" asked Sokka trying to change the morbid subject. "Dragoons, all in all, its all we need, and with our priests we will be fine. They are, tactful in their ways, and are effective at leading the troops", "Dragoons, what are those, dragon riders?", "Precisely" answered Sofia as she opened another map, provided by Azula for the battlefield.

A sense of inspiration swept the westerners, these people had **dragons **helping them, but this didn't lessen the effect of Saturno's proclamation.

Still, the varajans in the room were yet serious, stoic and grim. Something was bothering them, somehow, for all of the gang's optimism, they spoke quietly and thought it best to leave the topic be, it only seemed to agitate the varajans, these men and women comprehended the full scope of the battle ahead of them, a change of topic was the best thing for them right now.

Palla laid back down in Saturno's bed and opened her book, Sofia continued to drink her tea and look over plans and figures. Saturno arranged his final armor and weapons in a corner and Mouth looked in their direction quietly, it was a little creepy, then again, **all **the varajans seemed creepy. But this man, "Mouth", when he looked at one it almost seemed as if he could see into your spirit.

The group, tried to ease the tension in the room, they looked at Sokka for some form of spear head of the situation. Some sarcastic remark or quirky comment to spark a conversation.

"So, Saturno told us all about you Sofia and you Palla" said Sokka pressured by his friends, "Did he now?" asked Sofia smiling earnestly at Sokka, his heart fluttered involuntarily, this made him remember Suki. He felt ashamed; he and Suki were a couple. He cast the feelings aside to the best of his abilities and picked up the conversation. '

"Yeah, in a nutshell he called you a control freak and Palla a nearsighted bookworm" he said smiling, Saturno seemed to crouch slightly expecting something to e thrown at him. "Satty my love, you're pushing your luck, we know all of your shames and short comings" said Sofia taking a sip of her tea smiling at nothing in particular.

"Satty?" said the group in unison, "Yup, his nickname" said Aksavit remembering. Saturno sat back down next to Sofia, "Say nothing more, please, Toph will never let me hear the end of it". He smiled at Sofia tenderly trying to negotiate, knowing her affection for her older brother, she took a quick look at him and caressed the side of his face concerned, she looked at his scars and his nose, her amiable mood lessened and faded.

"Our poor Satty" she said, the room felt silent for a moment, "We will be with you to whatever end" she said, with a true smile of commitment. Saturno looked at Aksavit who smiled, and then at Palla who nodded and winked at him before burying her nose in her book again. A metal clad hand laid itself on Saturno's shoulder, he looked back at Mouth who was smiling with his head tilted slightly to the side.

"We're with you Saturno" said Aang stepping up to Saturno for emotional support, he in turn placed both of his hands on Aang's shoulders. "And I with you Aang, this day is **ours.** It all ends today" he said, Aang focused his eyes on Saturno's, he wasn't smiling, his tone had melancholy and nostalgia in it, it was almost as if Saturno was saying goodbye. Before anything else could be said Saturno interjected, "Seeing as we have almost two hours before we approach the battle to be, I asked you all to come so you may know my dearest blood. And that includes Mouth and Aksavit" he said with a bright and well practiced tone.

The group felt a little on the spot, time was short and this was an attempt to get everyone together before the battle to be and spend two precious hours without having to think about what was coming. Two precious hours which Saturno had haphazardly conglomerated to try to bring the two groups of people that meant the world to him together.

No one wasted much time in shyness, everyone felt comfortable enough to chat after a few minutes, and even Palla put her book down and came to the table in which everyone was sitting.

Everyone spoke freely and even as impromptu as this little play-date was, everyone enjoyed it.

Mouth, although still severely unsettling and with strange had a macabre, arrogant, black, but wholesomely irresistible sense of humor, was quite the hit with the band of westerners. He and Toph in 

particular hit it off exceptionally well. As both were blind, they had a particular insight into the human spirit, they liked you for you so to speak.

Sofia and Katara also clicked well both being very feminine in their own ways. They whispered and joked and passed about gossip to one another about Sokka, Aang and Saturno. Saturno though, remained strangely distant, he continued to put on pieces of armor as he listened to them.

His last suit of armor, was the suit of armor he had designed for himself. All Soldadus had two things tailored to them. A series of tattoos that the individual chose for him or herself, this was a matter of marking oneself as having finished their apprentice phase. And the armor, as each Soldadus, as unique as they were, so was their armor.

His last armor, was one he had made as he made his way to the rendezvous point. Raiding, looting, pillaging all Fire Nation forts and army posts but neglecting the villages although passing through them freely. The fighting didn't truly provide any sort of challenge, merely something to wet the pallet for what was to come.

His armor had a black sage color to it, the clothing that was visible was black as Mouth's robes. The armor was made of the best quality but was also designed with inspiring fear and with mobility in mind. The front of the boot was hooked downwards as to claw into the earth when the person runs for better hold. The gauntlets were also mean, cruel, sharp looking things capable of killing someone who was not armored properly and piercing flesh with ease, the forearms of the same were somewhat broad as to be used as shields.

The front of his armor had a golden eye symbol etched into it, and proclamations of death and victory scribed all around the edges of the armor.

The head piece was malicious, it's mouthpiece went up to the nose, then the upper part conjoined at the bridge. Leaving two slits for vision, not to mention the short dagger like appendage that stuck out form the forehead upwards into the sky and two other knife-appendages which shot from the sides of the head in the same direction. The strange, arrowhead looking head piece gave an impression of looking like a crested helmet.



The armor was not slick like metal, but had more the feeling of obsidian and stone. Immaculate, smooth like oil, but with a coarseness to it. The armor exhumed the sense of malice that Saturno looked for. Today was going to be a black day, he was going to be ready for it.

He sheathed his shortsword and greatsword which mirrored the armor in appearance and feeling and looked at Toph.

The group didn't mind his being a little distant, he looked and them and laughed when someone said something funny.

He had something he wanted to say but was not sure how to say it. He strode to Toph hesitantly; he loomed behind her for a second thinking about how he was going to pull her from the group.

"Something bothering you Satty?" said Toph looking straight up, blankly at his direction with an impish smile. Everyone laughed lightly, so did he, damn it, the name stuck. "Toph, can I speak to you, in private?" he asked awkwardly. Toph's expression grew to concern by his tone, "Sure Satty" she said almost instinctively, the name definitely stuck.

Both went outside to the ship and went to the rail of the steer of the ship. The sous captain nodded to Saturno and to Toph seeing as she was somehow of importance to his master and concentrated on his duties.

Saturno looked around him, there were a little over 25-30 ships. Everything was going well, everything seemed calm for the coming struggle, good, they needed to be in the right state of mind.

"So what is on your mind?" said Toph latching onto the railing next to Saturno, she stood up strait trying to press herself down into the ship as solidly as she could as to avoid sea sickness, she was feeling a little queasy.

Saturno looked her over, had she gotten taller? It seemed as though they had been separated so long he had forgotten her build. She seemed a little older. It must have been the Earth Kingdom uniform.

"There is no easy way to say what I'm about to say so I'll just be blunt" he said quietly. He took a deep breath, she seemed to listen more intently as he exhaled. His eyes settled on the sea.

"This last battle I believe, will claim my life" he said sadly. Toph scoffed and grinned, "Sat, we're all a little edgy, but that's no reason to believe you are going to die" she said with an innocent but sincere tone, she truly believed what she had said, as surely as a child tells one how many suns there are.

He recoiled internally, how could he explain to her what he had felt when he retrieved the 13th. The feeling of when something greater than yourself, something he had long mistaken for dementia, told him, that his little quest was going to claim his life.

He cast aside the thought, "You are right, as usual, you are right, never mind. We'll all be fine" he said, his mind shifted to a state of darkbending that he was hoping with all his might he would not have to use.

Toph cocked her head slightly in his direction, "You're not being honest, something **is **bothering you" she inched a little closer to him. She hesitated for a moment and placed her hand on his back and caressed him kindly, not gently or tenderly, but like a friend.

"You can tell me anything Satty, you've never lied to me before, you're not going to start now are you?" she asked, trying for a smile.

Saturno looked ahead and then back at her, "You know, the Soldadus have an equivalent to the Avatar State. But it's not like Aang's, but with dark and light, these are spiritual energies that flow through all things, neither is evil but people may have a natural affinity for either one. Think of them as Ying and Yang" he said, Toph listened to him intently. "As Aang can use the four elements to his advantage we use only darkness and light. But these are far more powerful, the elements divide into four, with these spiritual energies, we use one half's so to speak, am I losing you?", she shook her head. "But, apart from the explosion and screaming beam trick that you know? What else can darkbending do?", a smile as sharp as a sword slinked onto his face, his mind racing through his repertoire of known skills, "I know 

more than I've shown, Darkbending is a gate to many things that most of the world would consider to be unnatural".

He remembered his line of thought and continued, letting his smile fade, "The Lightbending state is called Akegoge, and the Darkbending is called Aegoge. In each we receive much like Aang, unimaginable power and we can only maintain it for a little while, but often that is all we need to end a battle. My mother has reached the point in which she can use her Aegoge, Aksavit taught me how and I can use it too. But….I'm afraid I will do something terrible" he said, his heart sinking.

"Saturno, you won't. I know you, you would never, not in a million years do anything bad, you would never hurt our friends" she said latching onto his hand reaffirming it.

Like if letting his hand move might let him think otherwise, she kept it down. He smiled, the warmth of her hand was a wonderful sensation. He felt the butterflies in his stomach fly again, but this time, he embraced the feeling. She smiled at him, knowing that looking at her face made him feel better, then her smile faded "But what happens if you die in the Aegoge?" she said remembering Aang's particular technicality on death and the Avatar Cycle.

Saturno frowned as well, "The worst fate anyone can bring upon themselves. As opposed to Aang dying and the cycle ending with his soul being released into the afterlife. If I die, my soul dies as well", Toph's face contorted slightly into reluctance, "I don't follow? How can your soul die?"

"If my soul is released by death while there is such as sheer concentration of energy in me, when it is released, my essence, my energy is torn apart, assimilated and released back into the world. My soul ceases to exist". Toph looked at him with a sense of hesitance. Like she wanted to find a way to latch onto him so he couldn't die, so nothing ever bad could ever happen to him, she still wasn't comfortable with fully embracing what she felt, but she by no means wanted him to get hurt. Much less die.

"Saturno……I won't let that happen". Saturno held her at her shoulders and looked at her eyes deeply, like if this was the last time, he would make it worthwhile.



He wanted to kiss her, but she didn't love him did she? She cared deeply about him, but honestly, she never said the words "I love you". He didn't want to do something embarrassing that she would remember him by with.

Toph was having an internal struggle, she wanted to say what she had said to Aksavit, that she indeed loved Saturno, but somehow, another part of her mind didn't allow her to say it, a part of her that wasn't ready. But he knew didn't he? Yes, he did, he knew she loved him. Still, she couldn't bring herself to say it, but she did, and at this point in time, not as friends, but as something more. She had grown to love him in the ways that he is.

His eccentricities, the feel of his skin, his pace of step, his voice.

Yeah, especially his voice.

She could feel he was looking at her, she could feel the beat of his heart. It beat in a particular way, the same way that Aang's beat when he was feeling affection, love, for Katara. His beat in the same way, his heart was enraptured with feelings, she could feel without a doubt, the overwhelming adoration he had for her.

In every sense of the word; he loved her.

Despite that, he made no moves, no attempts at touching her, not even an attempt at kissing her. She blushed slightly at the thought, at this point, he could have gotten away with it, she would have let him get away with it. She would have enjoyed it too.

After a moment he came closer to her, he gently held the sides of her head. He shifted her head up only slightly.

"Holy crap! He's going to do it, he's actually going to do it? What do I do? Do I just stand still? Does my breath stink? He's actually going to do it? Will he like it? Should I tell him I love him? Here it comes! Holy crap!" her mind screamed and ranted as he pulled her closer.

Saturno looked at the little Earthbender with some warmness, her face was contorted in slight anticipation and nervousness. He felt like he could kiss her. He wanted to, she seemed to want it too. But another part of his mind spoke to him calmly and rationally.

Toph is twelve….

You are sixteen…

She had never once said that she loved you or hinted of romance…..

Most likely she just loves you as a friend…..

Likely adores you, but only as a friend…..

Kissing her, it would feel like he was doing something wrong.

Toph tensed as she felt his breath, but came short as she felt him kiss her forehead with a pause. A heartfelt and tender kiss, with love behind it, he then held her to him in a hug. He whispered to her, "Remember what I said; I love you, with all my heart I love you", she could swear his heart contorted in gratitude, "If I had not been found by you and our friends, I'd be dead or worse, I'd be what my parents made me into. You saved me from myself" he whispered as he let go of her and wiped away a stray tear.

She felt the butterflies in her like never before, a connection with him like never before. The words, those three magical words were on the tip of her tongue, but as soon as she let herself go, she was surprised and horrified by what came out.

Saturno looked at her as she continued to latch onto his tunic as she seemed to let go of something internally, her mouth opened and said. "You're welcome Satty" it was slow, deliberate and heartfelt. To his mind she meant what she had just said, and that was all she was going to say.

Toph was mortified by what she said. Saturno had always told her the truth, but it was involuntary what came out of her mouth. She felt terrible in that fleeting moment of realization, she hadn't been truthful to Saturno or to her feelings. A brief image of Sokka flashed in her mind. She looked away and her face contorted into almost crying, she was still hung up on both of them, Sokka could not love her the way she would have liked, Saturno did but she couldn't seem to let herself love him as well. She was torn between them both, struggling to hang on to both, or at least part of either world.

In her mind as Saturno excused himself to go back inside the cabin, a terrifying thought shot into her mind. What if she lost them both? She had to make a decision, she could not have Sokka, she adored Saturno but she could not bring himself to let herself love him either. She remembered what Aksavit had told her, in a pair both needed to hear those three magic words. Saturno was trying, desperately trying to find out if she loved him. She realized by his actions before kissing her on the forehead that he was hesitant to touch her, to speak to her. She was sure now that he didn't know how she felt about him. Even after their conversation after he came back from Azula, she had placed some big doubts.

Come to think of it, she had never once responded in kind to his approaches, not once given out a complement, a kind caress, it's not that she hadn't been there for him. Its just, she had never responded in kind when he made a romantic gesture or comment.

She was torn between them, and confused as to why she couldn't be in control of her feelings like she had always been. …

She couldn't have Sokka…

And because of her hesitance to let go…

She was going to lose Saturno…

And she hated herself for it….

**The end of the war is near! R&R if it takes your fancy, I hope you've enjoyed the story so far as I have, I hope you enjoy the climactic ending to Saturno: A Traitor's Heart! And as always, here's a cookie!!**


	21. Soldadus

R&R if it takes your fancy, I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have enjoyed writing it!

**The Fall of the Fire Nation**

Azula sat quietly in an observation area above the bay chokepoint. In front of her, the majority of the varajan 9th Legion stood as it made its final preparations to fight their sister legion.

Her observation room was bare. Only a few plans were laid out in military fashion on the main table. Azula was thankful she had this fleeting moment of respite. She had much on her mind.

Her mind focused for a while on Saturno. She had accepted that she was in fact infatuated with him. But she had also accepted that she was not going to do anything about it. It was something that could never be, after all, she had heard all about how Saturno dealt with conquered cities. He was much more merciful than her people had ever been. But the mere prospect of losing and being conquered was...unsettling.

From when she had agreed with Saturno on how they were going to stop Dahlia, and how they were going to deal with the legion, she knew she had done something...wrong.

Saturno's true loyalties, she knew, lay only with his legion and with Aang. He was going to seek to do what was best for both.

She had come to accept that she had damned the Fire Nation. First by allowing Dahlia and Saturno's parents to come there in the first place, then by sticking a deal with them, and now, by negotiating with Saturno to stop them. For the first time in a long time Azula felt helpless, but somehow she also felt at peace. That sense of scheming, trickery and malice was quiet. Perhaps it was because she had met her match, or perhaps it was her subconscious acknowledging that if she tried anything she would die.

An overwhelmingly agonizing death most likely...

She had effectively killed her nation's chances of freedom, and more so, their dreams of grandeur.

These people, the varajans. They knew more about warfare than she or anyone in the world could hope to learn in a hundred lifetimes. It was as though, these people had never in their lives known peace. And more, Azula had found out that varajans had a civilization as old as time immemorial.

The four nations were roughly 10,000 years old. But Varajo, was presumably upwards of 100,000 years old.

This nation was far older than theirs, far more advanced, far more learnt, far more violent.

Azula had noticed that somehow, these people found everything, **everything** about the Fire Nation either laughably pathetic, or offensive in its audacity to presume it was worth something. They regarded the Fire Nation to be their inferiors in every way, and treated them as such.

What if Dahlia won?

Azula shuddered at the thought.

The Royal Guard, her father's own bodyguards were bested by grunts in the legion. Even veteran grunts without bending abilities. These varajans fought with a viciousness and malice that unsettled her father. Azula had the feeling that he was beginning to realize just how dangerous these people were.are.

"Good, It'll do him some good to pull his head out of his ass long enough to acknowledge that there is a bigger fish" she thought.

Trained from birth to take life, beaten and worn until even the young girls in the legion almost seemed to be carved out of wood in how strong they were, was a sign of how far out of their league they were.

These people treated hers with disdain and contempt, when they looked at her troops, when they looked at her. The shine in their dead eyes, at times it wasn't contempt, it was hate. A malicious hate, the kind of hate her soldiers had when they took everything from the conquered.

She saw everything in her mind, like she could see everything that was going to happen.

_The varajans win..._

_Our troops lose their balance by fall of the capital..._

_An internal power struggle will likely take place..._

_The rest of the world counter attacks..._

_We lose everything..._

_Everything we have done will be paid back a hundred fold..._

She felt enough sorrow to cry but nothing came out. Her mind settled on Saturno, she allowed herself to fantasize; what if Saturno had been born in the Fire Nation, and what if he and she had been friends. Not friends like Mai or Ty Lee, real friends.

She saw her life in a linear path, from infants, to children, to near adulthood as both were now.

He likely would have been the conscience she never had.

She heard a knock on the door.

"Come in" she said without turning around.

It was Mai and Ty Lee.

"Varajan warships have been spotted, we should go to the bunker" said Mai, Ty Lee looked like a frightened child.

Even with her acrobatics, by bugging the varajans, she got she shit kicked out of her.

She had a broken arm and a black eye, the other was bloodshot. Azula considered her to be lucky that was all they did. Not surprisingly, trying to block chi points with the varajans only irritated them further as these are sensitive spots in the body. The varajans did not use chi, their whole spiritual energy system was something else entirely.

As Azula stepped out and started on the way to the bunker, she silently prayed that it would be Saturno, not Dahlia stepping into the throne room victorious. If Dahlia decided to look for her after figuring out that Saturno was still alive, she was in trouble, and more so if Dahlia found her.

Azula allowed herself one more look at the sea, the black sails on the horizon.

"Goodbye" she silently whispered, bidding farewell to what could have been between Saturno and her, giving way to what is. She is the conquered, he is the conqueror. Although, if he would prove to be a savior rather than a tyrant. That had yet to make itself clear.

The sky was darkening more than it already had, as Azula walked by the wall she felt the ripple of energy a great varajan bender.

She saw Saturno's father, clad in white armor looking at the sky. Dozens of priests doing the same thing as their master raised their hands to the sky. A whirlpool of unnatural clouds began to ebb and form above the battlefield.

This day was a firebending day, or at least it was supposed to be one. Even with the eclipse heralding the coming comet.

The varajans were blocking out the very sky, after a moment the sun was gone. A storm brewed, the sky's vivacious blue color was washed away as if by black waters. It became a worn and gray as an ancient, water battered painting.

Azula knew, today, regardless of her father and the Avatar's incontrovertible confrontation. It was she, not Aang who defeated the Fire Nation, albeit unwittingly. The battle to come between those two was eclipsed by the coming army. Regardless, there was one thing that was sure...

That day... would never be forgotten.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Aang and the rest of the group came out of Saturno's room when Palla, Sofia, Mouth and Aksavit suddenly got up and went outside, not before getting their weapons and armor, there had been some shouting from the troops outside.

Saturno had only stepped inside before for a moment to strap on his armor and get his weapons.

He looked a bit upset...

When the group went outside, they saw Saturno at the head of the wheel of the ship and troops shuffling around getting everything ready. He shouted something to Palla and Sofia, the elder one brought out what looked to be a staff and opened to reveal a glider, not unlike Aang's new one. She jumped off with Sofia hanging on to her belt, but not before saying their good lucks. Aksavit shot them a smile and waterbended a small block of ice about the ships. These were Saturno's captains.

Mouth went up to Saturno and took hold of the wheel as he jogged to the cannons trying to get a stray strap tied. Mouth gestured the children to get behind him on the ship's oversight. They felt a little out of place not knowing what to do.

Toph felt out of place most of all, she wanted to say something to Saturno, anything, but she had missed her chance. A flood of feelings was being held back like bile in her mouth, unable to swallow it back, and not able to let it out.

Mouth at one point raised his head and shouted to the armada in a voice that echoed, carrying the message; "To arms! To the last, we kill them all!". A storm of cheer in both varajan and common was heard throughout the armada. All of the westerners were unsettled by the varajan's joy, if not lust for the knifework to come.

Saturno saw everything in slow motion for a moment, if not in fast motion. He couldn't tell if he was slow, or if it was the world. This nauseating feeling of the battle to come, sixteen years of fear of his parents, his own insecurities, Toph's feelings, his death. All crashed into his mind in that instant.

He clutched at his heart painfully, then almost by instinct he looked at the sky, the unnatural clouds forming above the battlefield and well into the ocean. He could hear the whisper, above the endless whispers of wry energy forming the maelstrom above their heads.

_-Saturno..._

It was his father's voice, barely a whisper, but it was there.

His face contorted in fear, sorrow, pain, reluctance to fight. Cold rain began to rain on the ship, first a drizzle then a torrent. All the feelings faded away like embers of a dying fire, replaced by a new one. Amongst the endless amount of feelings that surged and bubbled up at a steady and fast pace from his heart, the one that was clear; was rage.

He opened his mouth and screamed as hard and long as his lungs would allow. Steam blew from his mouth, contrasted by the freezing rain.

The group saw this... his whole reaction.

They felt afraid...

Saturno almost violently threw his head back and looked at Mouth and shouted "Go!".

The first line of ships opened their full sails and shot forward noticeably faster than the rest of the armada.

From the dark statue of another Fire Lord of ages past emerged six Fire Navy ships. These wasted no time in lighting their ordinance and firing.

The crews of the varajan armada either had smiles on their faces, or bloodlust as the shots from the trebuchets went high, short or were brought down by water or airbending troops on the ships.

Katara looked at Saturno questioningly, they all did, at least the gang when he took Mouth's place and the same went below deck, his black robes completely soaked by the tempest.

As the line of ships from the varajan armada aligned themselves to pass between the Fire Navy ships Katara couldn't hold herself any longer. "Saturno! What are you doing? We are going to get rammed!", he only looked back at her and laughed with a snappy chuckle. "Bow Cannons!" he screamed, Sokka, no less frightened than his sister noticed that long, heavy tubes came from the side of the ship. These had lion or dragon head ends, coming out of the mouths of other small doors which were carved to look like faces.

The Fire Navy shifted and accelerated their engines to full as they aimed for the wooden ships. The one who aimed at the Death's Head at the front of Saturno's ship was shoved aside as simultaneously all the crewmen and women on the top and middle deck capable of air and waterbending moved as one. The ships were pushed aside and forced to go into their original intercut line. As the ships passed perfectly parallel to them. Orders were given.

Toph heard the succession of orders from one end of the line to the other and the succession of low and thunderous booms that followed.

-_Fire!!_

A barrage of booms...

_-Fire!!_

_-Kill Them!!_

Continuous fire...

_-Unleash Hell_

_-Rend them Limb from Limb!!_

The scream and groan of metal being torn into along with the void-like sounds of the guns firing...

When it got to Saturno's ship, "Fire!!" he screamed, his head trembling with the intensity of fervor he placed into the order. The cannons promptly obeyed.

As the ships passed between the Navy firing from both sides, the metal ships were torn and shredded by the heavy ordinance from the varajan ships. Men and women of the Fire Nation jumped ship. Some were hit with arrows, others sucked down into the depths by the cruel waterbending varajans.

Only now, the gang was beginning to realize, that these people didn't fight like it was planned. To defeat, to make surrender. No. These people fought to kill, for carnage, and they enjoyed it so.

Only a few, heavily battered ships remained in the water, barely floating, some taking on water. Left to be torn apart by the second wave of varajan ships.

As Saturno and the armada continued into the bay, but not before tearing apart the statue of the Fire Lord with their cannons, the gang began to wonder how was this all going to end. Each one had his or her own thing on their minds. Sokka hoped he could find Suki when this was over. Katara was astounded at how she was seeing a side of Saturno she had never seen before, and of how singular he and his people were in being merciless. Butchering whatever Firebender tried the ships for help or quarter. She couldn't deny, she did get some measure of satisfaction out of all this, but this was not how it was supposed to be.

Aang most of all, was scared, he was feeling like he had unleashed death upon the land, by first letting Saturno survive. And second from letting him get the legion. Both were necessary for the war, but he couldn't help but feel remorse. No one deserved to have these kinds of adversaries. No one deserved to have this kind of fate, to die at the hands of these people.

Toph however, was quiet. She knew who Saturno was, she knew he had killed people before, he had killed people before in front of them. She was dealing with the fact he was going to kill a lot of people today. He said once before to her, that he had been knee deep in blood before, she didn't want to picture that. Much less experience it herself.

The ships reached the shore without a struggle. As they got off and formed their phalanxes, the gang and the rest of the westerners formed up behind the army. Everyone was out of place, the well coordinated machine of the legion marched forward.

Foot soldiers with axes and swords flanked the spear wielders, archers behind them, and the riders on the strange creatures that the varajans called horses, towered behind them. The steel armor of the soldiers was a frightening sight, the metallic, closed helmets gave the soldiers a look of a symbol rather than a person, making them all the more intimidating in their black, sage armor.

Rain battered the landscape, the sky was a dark, waning teal. The unnatural maelstrom raged above their heads.

There was no wind.

Just the sound of rain and the shouting messages of the soldiers in their native tongue.

Saturno felt nothing inside him. No fear, no love, no hate. He couldn't feel anything anymore...save bloodlust. He marched on foot in front of his army. With the singular purpose of killing all in his path, even those he "loved" if they got in his way.

The little seed that had been festering for some time, despite his sister's kindness, the gang, his new self discovery, Toph, bloomed for the first time... A rose, birthed from all the suffering he had endured, a rose as black as hell itself, and it was aimed at his father and mother.

He couldn't care about anything anymore, his desire for peace, his dreams, all that was best in him. Even though he didn't realize it, with every step he took, he was letting a great part of him die, step by step.

He was Saturno Aeleas Rakanus, he was a Soldadus.

They marched silently towards the sister legion...


	22. Death of Saturno

**Here ya are, the last chapter of the Heart. I hope you enjoy it !**

**Death of Saturno**

It was raining…

The varajan armies were lustful, almost as if to be by an old lover's side when it came to the knife work to come.

The coalition of the Avatar was frightened, they seemed to be a spec amidst the specs amidst the terrifying armies.

The varajans reeked of something…

A strange smell, it was, like blood, but at the same time, like metal…

Toph wondered as she walked in the wet stone, what was that smell…

The men atop the ballista emplacements as was ordered aimed at the 13th but was ready to pivot its bow on the 9th to unleash its unforgiving salvo. They felt afraid…

It was like they were not safe atop their walls.

The rain, much like the ambience was charged, hostile. Both armies stopped two hundred feet from one another. A procession from the 9th marched toward the middle of the field. Aang saw Saturno doing the same, Mouth, Aksavit and his sisters in tow. Aang was followed by the gang. Apparently, there was going to be some negotiations.

They stopped in the middle of the grounds. A large, heavy set varajan in white ivory armor with three generals in similar attire stood behind their master. The armor was dull in tone, but clear in color in the dark rain. It was plate armor, its segmented form gave the look of an armored juggernaught. The wearer hid behind a featureless helmet. Simply two slits for eyes, under which there was a red tear marked into the face of anguish adorning the helmet. The expression was an unsettling thing. A look of pure anguish and mourning, the loneliest looking face in the world, one in pain.

Saturno marched next to Aksavit and Mouth, Palla and Sofia stopped short of the meeting place, knowing that they followed for emotional support but had no place in the negotiation. Sokka, Aang, Katara stopped with them, Toph was ahead of them and hesitated to approach. Saturno reeked of that smell, it was just like his army, but his was much more marked. Where had she smelled that before?



At that moment Katara, Haru, The Duke, Sokka's father wondered the same thing, as did all the adults and children used to war. Veterans of bloody and great battles. Where had they all smelled that awful smell. It was not disgusting or unpleasant, it was a smell that permeated through one's skin and lungs. It made one's hairs stand on end, it created a knot in one's stomach. It made one afraid and it took away other's nerves.

What was that smell?

Metallic, one could taste it in the air…

Bloody, one could smell it in the ambience…

Terrifying, one could feel it in the heart…

What was that smell?

Toph shook away the feelings she had as the heavy set varajan approached Saturno. She was quick to run to his side protectively. The massive man didn't even notice her, he seemed completely intent on Saturno. His hammer, one like of a divine judge, was slung on his back. Both of his armored hands hung at his broad shoulder's like hammers themselves. This man had an aura of authority about him that made everyone cringe, except Saturno. Toph could "see" inside him, all there was; was excitement. Almost as if, Saturno was salivating at this man with bloodlust.

"Son" said the juggernaught.

"Father" said Saturno.

The gang looked amidst itself curiously. This was Saturno's father?

The man took off his helmet, he was a very handsome man, he exhumed an aura of conviction. His eyes wandered to his son's face after studying the little girl behind him. Saturno took off his helmet. He mirrored the man, both had their handsome jet black hair slicked backwards. While Saturno's was shy of being tied back, the man had a long braid.

The man looked at his son and reflexively raised his arm at his son's face like he always did, the same way he would to inspect the face of a scarred fighting dog. But then he thought better of it.

He felt against touching Saturno, the boy had changed, he was no longer afraid. He seemed hateful, and with the nerve to back up any violent thought.



He remembered the young girl as if she was a spec. He looked down at her, she was short and tough looking. She had many calluses on her hand, she had to be a fighter. But what was it about her eyes? Oh yes….she must have been blind too.

He decided to probe, there was something about how the girl stood next to her son that was intriguing. He was after all a sadist and he wanted to cause Saturno pain, the ungrateful little bastard had run away and had thrown away everything his family had given him. He was a coward for not fulfilling his duty to his country and was a traitor for breaking varajan law. How quaint he was wearing black and sage armor.

His son….

Saturno Aeleas Rakanus, King of the Ahrfazi, Emperor of Traitors, Lord of Deceivers.

Never in varajan history had there been a traitor quite like him, he had become the black mark on the emblem of the Rakanus clan. He had stained the dragon serpent, and he was going to pay dearly for it. Alive or no, this affront would be repaid tenfold.

Then when he was ready to speak Saturno interrupted him.

"Dimitrios, let us finish this in the old ways. You against me, father against son, Soldadus against Soldadus. To the death, the winner takes the other's army. My two generals are present and so are yours, they are our witnesses" said Saturno, his voice nearly breaking.

His chest was moving erratically and had slight convulsions…

Was he crying, his voice suggested he was just about to. Though after having put on his helmet again it was not as easy to know.

"And why would I agree to that when we can just annihilate you now, you overestimated the strength of your army and your allies. But most of all, of this gifted, this…. Avatar" spat Dimitrios.

Saturno wasted to time retorting his father's question, "Why not? You can simply kill me and take all. It would save you men and time. Where is mother by the way?".

Dimitrios looked Saturno over, there was something about this deal he didn't like. Saturno seemed all too eager to fight. This seemed unlike the usually humble and sunny, defiant little man his son was.

The varajan was just about to say no when Saturno opened his mouth and said, "Don't tell me that after all those years hitting me, when I am fully armed and I open the door for you to do it again you back out" said Saturno. That was the only prod Dimitrios needed. Saturno was going to suffer for his insolence.

But first, who was this girl?

"Ara is in Varajo. You will have your wish, we'll fight. But first, I'd like to ask. Who is this fine young lady who is with you?" he asked, a coy look on his face.



"No concern of yours"

"Come now son, if she is going to bear your seed for the Gift of the Deus I'd like to know at least her name"

"Shut up"

"Come now love, what is your name?" asked Dimitrios leaning down slightly toward Toph.

"Leave her alone" said Saturno his voice straining.

Toph held Saturno's hand in an effort to calm him down, and stood up to Dimitrios in front of her varajan.

"Leave him alone" she said.

Dimitrios knew how to snap Saturno now. The way she held his hand, the way he held hers. They were so much in love. What better way to coax his son into snapping into a fight that to use her as leverage.

"What a lovely young girl, she would make an excellent mach for you son" he said.

The girl seemed a little bit put at ease, she was not expecting the man to suddenly back down with a kind comment.

The tone under Saturno's helmet did not diminish. He was still trembling slightly. But the girl had helped him calm down without a word, so noted Dimitrios.

He must love her a great deal…

Being the cause of her suffering would bring Saturno regret, it would likely shatter him, Dimitrios sensed.

Delicious cruelty…

He looked at Saturno and said "You know, perhaps we should bring her to Varajo, there you can marry and pass the gift".

Toph felt uncomfortable to hear Dimitrios suggest to his son to take her back to Varajo, to marry and get her pregnant. She felt reassured though that Saturno would never let that happen to her.

"Or maybe, if you are squeamish, I should do the honors on your wedding night" said Dimitrios. That was the only prod Saturno needed. He guided Toph behind him again. He drew his greatsword and stabbed it ground first into the ground. Both processions backed away, Mouth placed both hands on Toph's petit frame and guided her back.

Toph felt like she had on the boat, she wanted to tell him she loved him. But the words, like bile swam in her throat, between going back down and being spoken. She wanted to but she couldn't.



Two tears danced down her face, incognito amidst the sea of droplets from the tempest raging above their heads.

Both varajans would fight, and only one would survive. Toph felt like she had done something terrible. What if Saturno was right? What if he was going to die? What if having told him that she loved him, that there was someone in the world who adored him like she did would have given him the additional fire to win. She felt as though she had just lost Saturno forever, cast him into the abyss to be destroyed. How did it all come to this. Why were the varajans here. Who were they? How had the world been plunged into this madness.

What was that smell?

Dimitrios slipped one hand behind him to reach for his hammer. His son was now twenty feet away, he could still nail him. He charged electric energy into his palm, and in one swift movement as he was always taught to draw his hammer, he swung it and took aim at Saturno. In under a second the whole move was completed and a white bolt of lightning tore out of his hand and flew stabbed at Saturno.

The boy had been expecting some sort of trick. All the pent up energy and excitement he had been restraining was unleashed, he slapped one hand forward and the energy wired down his arm and simultaneously shot out of his other hand now, aiming itself folded like a spearhead at his father.

Dimitrios narrowly dodged this attack as it stabbed into the ground an inch from where he had been a second before. He swung his hammer around with himself and struck the ground less than a second later a sharp spire shot out to nail Saturno in the chest. But in the one instant he had taken his attention off Saturno he was no longer even remotely where he had been.

Saturno had taken off at an impossible speed to the right and was running to him, a strange blur of dance he performed as he approached at his speed. He swung his sword and used the sword to swing himself. The jumps and ways he jerked his body in midair made him strike the ground in many different patterns that produced several different kinds of shafts and spires of earth to him.

Dimitrios reacted just as quickly as his son had and raised an earth wall. He immediately regretted it as when the final blow struck in the seconds the attack lasted, his son had disappeared. Where had he gone? Underground most likely, just like a rat, he was going to pop out under him. He was sure of it.

It was a complete surprise when a bolt of lightning hit him squarely in the back, the dry pain of overloaded nerves sang throughout his body. He howled in anger. He swung around and held his a hammer sideways to block a blow he knew that was coming. Only it didn't, from underground Saturno catapulted out of a good twenty feet into the air and did a sideways somersault while still airborne to bring extra momentum into the blow he brought to his father's head. The same answered with the same impossible speed Saturno possessed and blocked again. He slid the hammer sideways to open Saturno to counterattack and nailed the boy in the back of the left shoulder the same way Saturno had spun as to avoid being struck in someplace vital.



Besides the bruise he knew Saturno was going to have, he hadn't seemed to get a good hit in.

Saturno yet again came with the same eerie velocity and continued the brutal attack. Not leading up for a second. He continued his barrage of blows that his father began to parry loosely. Dimitrios was trying to wear him out. He couldn't get into his lightbending trance because if he did, it would give Saturno the only opening he needed to finish the fight.

Saturno's stamina was unnatural, he had to be under the darkbending trance. But when had he gotten into it? When?

When he put his helmet back on, that was why he was shaking, he wanted to seem like he was weeping as a cover. Devious little bastard, he had learned from the best concluded Dimitrios. But he refused to lose to his son. He was not going to fail.

In a feint he managed to tear Saturno's helmet off and was surprised by what he saw. Saturno's bronze pupils were not dilated. He was not in a trance, he was enraptured by pure rage and bloodlust.

For all of the times Saturno had behaved like a weakling, he now seemed like a monster. He was not under any energies and he was wielding superhuman strength.

Dimitrios has underestimated his prey greatly.

The fight continued for a while more.

With each blow came the sickening realization to Dimitrios that he was fighting with all his strength, that he was equally matched with his son. He matched every blow, every parry, every bending blow. His son was going to win in the long run, he needed an opening. Every time he had struck Saturno it was always half hearted by Saturno's dodging, never allowing a full on blow to strike him. One of those would have been fatal.

Dimitrios looked at the young girl who Saturno was with out of the corner of his eye. If he struck out at her, then he could have his chance. That was all he needed, he shot out one hand and in a split second a bolt tore out at Toph. Saturno seeing this did the only thing he could, he swung his arm out heavily and a thick spire complemented by Toph's own barely blocked the surely fatal lance of white energy.

Saturno out of the corner of his eyes saw his father's hammer in slow motion. The face of agony, the rune of death on the damaging end of the hammer, the slick spike on the other end glinting in the rain, all before it came.

Saturno was struck in the chest, his armor crunched and whined under the titanic blow.

Saturno was thrown twenty feet away. He landed solidly on the ground and rolled thrice before coming to a stop.



A smile crept on Dimitrios's face, that was all he needed. Saturno was still, his chest wasn't moving, and he was more than certain he had shattered his son's ribcage.

Toph gasped and stared openmouthed in disbelief. Because of her, Saturno was, he was hurt, he couldn't have been dead, he could not.

Aksavit and Mouth were both silent and wide eyed by their expressions. They could not believe what had just happened. The gang had a similar look on their faces.

The Saturno's mad teacher had a look of disbelief, the blind servant had a look of mourning and pain on his like he had just lost someone he had profoundly cared for.

A knot formed in Aang's stomach, there was one face he was going to see when he looked back at this war; Saturno's. His brother in arms' face…

Someone whom he could at this point call brother…Despite the things he had done, and the way he was ending the war.

It seemed like an impossibility, that Saturno could have been killed. But it happened, that quickly and that simply.

Saturno was dead, and soon, they all would be…

Dimitrios walked slowly to Saturno's still, shattered body.

He looked it over and stabbed it slowly in the arm with the pike of his hammer. Oh yes, Saturno was very dead, still and quiet as one. The little string of blood flowed from the wound. The limp body did not react.

Dimitrios picked up Saturno by the back of the neck with little effort and held him like dead prey.

"Behold your savior!" he said with an enormous amount of pride.

The wound of Saturno's actions still needed time to heal. But his affront had been repaid. He just wished he could have made Saturno suffer more before he killed him. Out of spite, he was going to give the little girl who was with him to the men to have some fun with. Maybe he would join them.

The 9th Legion roared in victory behind their master.

The 13th seemed to want to shrink away in the gloomy rain.

Everything slowed to a crawl for Toph. He heart was broken just like Saturno's body was. She could not believe what had just happened. Saturno, her Saturno, one of those people in the war that seemed to be invincible. The thought of him dying seemed to be an impossibility.

She sobbed and her legs lost the strength to stand, she fell to her knees. Her heart was wrenching, she felt the greatest emotional blow she had ever felt in her life. It was an emotional pain could be felt all over her body, especially in her heart. She couldn't breathe, the pain, was incredible. The agony was mind numbing.



She felt the warmth of rage bubbling under her skin. The void that had been torn into her heart, the loss of breath from the same, she felt dizzy, she understood there and then what it was to have true hate.

At twelve years of age, she understood what Saturno had said when he told her he hated his parents, like he had on the beach. She realized, she had never truly understood the concept of hatred before.

She wanted to tear Dimitrios apart, rend his body limb from limb. To take away his pride, to break his spirit and shatter his body under the earth, nothing seemed to be good enough. Dimitrios needed to suffer, and she would not let anyone else do it but her…

She looked at Dimitrios holding Saturno's body like a trophy, clenching her feet as she was ready to charge at him. Then she saw it.

Saturno's body limply slipped one hand behind to his belt and drew a dagger. She then saw how his entire body contracted and coiled to strike.

In the last second, Dimitrios saw Saturno's dagger, a strait, sleek, black thing. His last thought before his son ended his life was one he could have laughed at.

"He takes after his mother, by the Gods they are both so alike, same cold, machinating minds, same deceitful fighting style. He is Ara's son truly, more so than mine"

The knife slipped into his coarse skin and pierced his esophagus. Blood came pouring in, the tangy coppery taste of blood engulfed his sense of smell and taste. Saturno had learnt his lessons well, he severed the jugular. There was no escaping death from a wound like that. He would bleed out in a minute, Dimitrios had to accept. But there was one thing he had to say first.

Saturno looked at his father clenching his neck with both hands, he would not last a minute, it was done. Red rage still purred under his skin, but he was keeping it in check.

"You are what I made you into, I'm so proud" said Dimitrios with a half gurgled voice. He managed a coughed laugh, strings of saliva and dark blood splattering to the ground.

The rest for Saturno was a blur, a blanket of rage enveloped him. The old Saturno was gone, someone new had taken his place. The rest was something that no one would ever forget.

Saturno stomped the ground and a small bow staff of stone slid out. He bashed his father in the face with it knocking him down. Not a second later he had landed on his father's chest and was screaming to the top of his lungs, he stabbed both of his hands down and tore his father's own away. He bit down as hard as he could into Dimitrios' neck. His teeth broke skin, then muscle then organ. He tore away, veins and muscle and throat strained at the unnatural strength of the pull. Blood gushed out and sprayed Saturno's face as the deep chunk of neck was torn from his father's neck.



To Saturno, or what he was at that time, it looked like Dimitrios was actually frightened of him. Or just surprised, either way it didn't matter. Dimitrios knew what he had wrought from the beginning, he just made the mistake of being on the receiving end of his weapon, in the way of the monster he had raised.

Saturno then tore a stone from the ground and smashed it into Dimitrios' now naked face.

Again, and again, and again…

Bloody wet thumps amidst the silence and the rain…

The varajans on both sides remembered why the Soldadus were so feared…

The westerners looked away and shrunk away from the scene, some threw up…

Palla and Sofia shrugged, they had no love for their parents, but they did acknowledge that what Saturno had just done was something that their parent's had bred him for…

Mouth and Aksavit thought nothing, this was Saturno, and this side is one they had seen before, but not like this…

Not at all like this…

Sokka and Katara were in shock, both felt like they would throw up, what was Saturno, just what the fuck, where these people…

Indescrivable monsters in human form?

Aang was afraid, this was what Saturno was, and he now had the strongest army in the world…

What was going to happen now?

Toph was silent, her mind and emotions still, where was her varajan?…

What had gotten up from the death blow was not her Saturno, it was not the man she loved…

She didn't know him anymore, that viciousness, that hatred, that rage and bloodlust…

Where had Saturno gone?

Saturno rose from his father's body, the face, nay, the skull was a shattered bloody pulp…

The head general of the 9th came towards the varajan boy hesitantly, clearly afraid. He cringed as he asked;

"What are your commands my lord?"

Saturno looked at the tall, powerfully built man, the same seemed to shrink away from his sight.



Saturno smiled the same malicious smile he was so fond of when in war and looked back at Aksavit.

She looked at him attentively and he gave her a nod…

What happened next was came to be known as the darkest years in the Western World…

Azula in the years that came asked herself, if she had made the right choice in helping Saturno escape Dahlia. She had vastly miscalculated Saturno's motives, he was either a genius in concealing them or something had changed him profoundly.

She once asked herself, if Saturno would prove to be a savior or a tyrant...

It was a mistake to have trusted him, it had been a mistake to have trusted any of them. As Azula learned at the end, Saturno was a true disciple of war.

_The Ends Always Justify The Means…._

In the years to come, they all understood what that smell was...

It was the smell of war...

The metal of arms...

The taste of blood...

The feel of hatred that made ones' hairs stand on end...

The stench of war...

The one thing that certain even on that black day was the one incontrovertible fact that followed;

This story….

Was far from over…

**I hope you enjoyed the ending to SATH, if you liked it and want to continue to find the ending of the saga. Please look out for Saturno: Crimson Waltz!**


End file.
